


By The Moonlight Side

by endlessnightlock (Endlessnightlock)



Series: By The Moonlight Side [1]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Complete, F/M, Fluff, Mags is the dog warden, More tags to come as the story progresses, Other, Peeta's a teenage werewolf, Sexual thoughts, Swearing, Underage Alcohol Consumption, Werewolves, based on prompt 61 from the Everlarkficexchange, brief mention of nudity, shape-shifting, shenanigans will ensue, stuck in an awkward situation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:55:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23412694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endlessnightlock/pseuds/endlessnightlock
Summary: based on prompt #61 submitted to the 2020 Everlarkficexchange by 567 (@567inpanem on Tumblr)Peeta knew better but he did stupid things when he got drunk. Now he’s caged at the animal shelter in his wolf form. And, omg, Katniss Everdeen let her little sister drag her in to see the dogs? He knows he shouldn’t, but teen hormones. He just wants to lick her hand. Get a tummy rub. Hump her leg. Sleep on her bed. Omg they take him home!!! He needs to let his dad know where he is. Omg. He needs to figure out his bakery shift. “God don’t let Katniss catch me licking my balls.”
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen & Primrose Everdeen, Katniss Everdeen/Gale Hawthorne, Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark, Peeta Mellark & Rye Mellark
Series: By The Moonlight Side [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1782547
Comments: 301
Kudos: 246
Collections: Everlark Fic Exchange - Springtime 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Multi-chapter fic but not too long, I think a handful of chapters will do it. (is that a vague enough number?) Thank you Buttercupbadass for slinging some ideas my way when I had a case of the old writers block. Much appreciated! 😘
> 
> Hope you enjoy this fun story. This will pretty much be fluff and shenanigans.
> 
> There could be a chapter rating bump, but I haven't decided yet so we will see.

"What's the matter, pup?" old Mags, the half-blind dog warden, crooned to Peeta as she offered her hand for him to sniff through the bars of the cage. 

He whimpered in response, wishing his head would quit throbbing.

Mags was a gentle soul, who years ago spearheaded the effort to open a no-kill shelter in Panem, long before the idea took off in the mainstream. "You're such a pretty boy; you know that? Now I wonder," she studied Peeta intently, her cloudy eyes focusing on him as best they could, "are you a husky or maybe a kind of sled dog?"

_Only our half-blind dog-catcher wouldn't recognize a wolf,_ Peeta thought, giving her age-spotted hands a nudge and sniff. _I guess I should be thankful she hasn't had cataract surgery yet_. 

He pulled his head back quickly from her friendly overture, his over-heightened canine senses going bonkers over what he'd found; Mags smelled like bacon grease this morning. Typically he didn't mind that scent- who didn't like bacon?- but this morning, it made his stomach churn. That was entirely his fault, though, and he laid on last night's drunken rampage- the one that had landed him in here. He'd behaved like such an idiot.

Shapeshifting werewolves, or wolves as they were known to their human counterparts, had inhabited the woods surrounding Panem for hundreds of years and lived amongst the people in human form for almost as long. No one thought much of seeing a wolf roam the city's outlying fields or groups of them congregating on the edges of farmland. Seeing a wolf roam the middle of town on a Friday night, however? That had gotten him busted by the law, more specifically the dog warden. None of this would've happened if Peeta hadn't gotten into old man Abernathy's moonshine with his brother earlier in the night.

_Rye had better spring me out of here, and quick_ , he thought, resting his head on his paws. The cage he was in was too small for his human form, and that made transforming out of the question. Members of the pack could never let humans watch them shapeshift. He had to hang tight for now.

"Are you hungry, boy?" Mags asked, unlocking his door a moment later and sliding in a bowl of kibble. 

Peeta whined, turning his face from the food. Even if he hadn't felt as though he might get sick in here, he only ate dog food as a last resort. 

Yes, he'd tasted kibble, and no, he didn't like it. 

"Maybe you got into something nasty while you were out on your own, a dead animal or something? Did it give you a tummy ache, I wonder..." Peeta coughed a little, covering the gag he felt at the idea of decomposing roadkill. Run-of-the-mill wolves might eat roadkill, but his kind would not.

"Here's some water for you,' Mags told him conversationally as she slid the second dish inside the crate. 

Peeta couldn't help it, he yipped and put his head in the bowl, taking long, undignified slurps of the water. He typically didn't like eating or drinking in his wolf form, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. What he wished for was some aspirin or Pepto tablets.

She continued speaking to him in that gentle, soothing tone she reserved for the animals in her care. "Drink up. I still can't believe I didn't find a microchip on you somewhere. I know someone has to be missing you- so don't worry, boy, I'd wager your owner will be here soon enough."

The old woman pottered around the holding area, which only had Peeta in residence at the moment. "You finish that up, and we'll move you to the big room. You don't want to stay back here all alone, do you?"

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"Come on in girls," Mags said, unlocking the door to the corridor lining the holding rooms for the dogs and shuffling backward out of the way. The steel door Mags wrangled weighed almost as much as she did, and it was like playing hell to keep the force of it from slamming her against the wall.

Prim bolted through the moment it opened while Katniss followed much more slowly, shaking her head at her sister's antics.

"Talk you into coming again?" Mags asked, patting the older teen on the back. It wasn't a real question.

Katniss nodded curtly and let her lips curl up in the slightest hint of a smile. "Yep," she drawled.

It had become the sister's habit over the last several months, since the first weekend Katniss had her driver's license and the keys to her mom's rusty station wagon, to visit the local shelter on Saturday mornings and help Mags with the strays. The two girls would typically walk the dogs, help her feed the animals, and clean up the pens. 

Any time Mags tried to thank Katniss for her help she would mutter something about how great volunteering would look on her college application. She always shook her head at Katniss's attitude; that girl didn't know the first thing about taking a compliment or credit for anything, either.

"Who do we have this morning?" Prim asked, walking down the corridor and peeking her head in at each of the dogs.

"Oh, we're not too full this morning. The usual cast of suspects is here, plus one I picked up this morning. He's kind of a big fella, unneutered, caught snarling at some teenage boys hanging around outside of the movie theater," Mags said. "One of the boys who reported him was that one who's got a thing for you… what was his name?" she snapped her fingers when the name came to her recollection. "Gale Hawthorne! He's the one."

Katniss shook her head and walked over to the corner where Mags kept the leashes hanging from a hook. "Does anyone need to be walked?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Katniss went out on a _date_ with Gale last night," Prim volunteered unexpectedly, giggling under her breath. 

Katniss dropped the leash from her hand. 

"Did he call while you were with him, Kat?" Prim continued.

"No, he didn't. And Prim," Katniss scowled at her sister, "shut up."

"Really? Well, Gale is a good looking boy," Mags volunteered, surprised but wholly oblivious to the tension hanging between the girls. She wouldn't have pegged that Hawthorne kid as Katniss's type. He was too big and broody, his personality too much like hers. She'd seen him running around town with a lot of different girls. "You going out with him again?"

"I don't think so," Katniss volunteered softly, "we didn't hit it off."

Meanwhile, Prim peered into the crate where the new dog was resting. "Hey there, boy," she greeted him, her tone gentle.

The dog was big, with silvery-blond fur and a wide stance, but appeared as if he were still a juvenile. He stared back with very un-doglike blue eyes and whined, giving Prim the distinct impression that he was in pain. But that wasn't the only thing that seemed off about him. "What kind of dog is this, Mags?" she finally asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Husky or something like that, I think."

Katniss walked over then, coming to a stop next to her sister and peering into the pen. The big male seemed to perk up at the sight of her, before ducking his head and using his paws to cover his face. 

"He seems embarrassed," Prim giggled, nudging her sister. "He is a boy dog- he must think you're pretty!"

Katniss ignored her sister's ribbing. "You need to get your eyes checked, Mags. That's a wolf," she said after studying him for a moment. "At least part wolf."

"Katniss, _hush_ ," Prim hissed, glaring at her sister before glancing over to see if Mags had been paying attention. 

The older woman continued humming as she sorted through paperwork on her desk, blissfully alone in her own world.

Prim breathed a sigh of relief. 

So far, so good.

"Well, it is!" Katniss countered, jarring her sister back to reality.

"What do you think is going to happen to a wolf at the dog shelter? They don't have a way to take care of something like that here. Mags will have to call someone from the state to come in and get him if she finds out."

Katniss scowled at her younger sister- leave it to Prim to be so concerned about a wild animal's welfare. Well, half-wild, at least. The dog (or whatever he was) seemed pretty tame. 

Maybe he had an owner somewhere. 

Still, Katniss put up an argument. "If I know he's a wolf, and you know he's a wolf, don't you think anyone else who comes in here and takes one look at him is going to figure out what he is? Mags is going to know sooner rather than later."

Prim bit her lip and turned to study the dog again.

His solemn gaze shifted back and forth between the girls. He seemed to be listening to their conversation very carefully. 

"Why don't we take him home? He isn't safe here- someone from the game warden's office will come to get him, and then what?"

Katniss laughed. Her sister had to be the only twelve-year-old who knew about the inner workings of animal management in local government. "No way. We can't take him home. That thing, whatever he is, he might eat Buttercup, and then you'd feel terrible."

"He seems very civilized…" Prim countered, turning to face Katniss head-on.

"There's a lot to think about when taking in a dog. He'd… he'd hurt you if he decided to hump your leg. Look how big he is!" Katniss sputtered out.

Prim rolled her eyes. "Aww, he wouldn't do that. Look at that sweet face of his!"

The dog was staring at them with his head cocked and his jaw hanging loose. His expression was almost incredulous. 

Katniss stared at him. He was very sweet looking. But instead of giving in to her sister's pleading and her own softening towards him, she shook her head. "Prim, sweet or not- that dog is not coming home with us." 

  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Thanks for taking him off my hands, girls," Mags said as she opened the back end of the station wagon to let the wolf-dog climb in. "If his owner turns up, I'll send them your way."

"Oh, don't worry. It's no problem at all. Maybe we'll end up keeping him- I've always wanted a dog," Prim chirped, patting the dog on top of his head.

Peeta turned his head just enough to lick her palm and gaze at her with nervous eyes.

Once Katniss shut the hatch behind him, he laid down in the back of the station wagon, fighting the full-throttle panic that was taking over. This wasn't supposed to happen- he wasn't supposed to be going home from the shelter with a family. Shit, he had a shift at the bakery in two hours. He was going to be in so much trouble when his mother found out about this. 

_Everything about this morning was just abso-fuckin-loutley fantastic._

Peeta got up in the back end of the station wagon just long enough to turn in a circle several times before laying back down again. He was too agitated to sit still _._

How was he supposed to get away from them and find somewhere he could change back to human form?

And to make things a million times more awkward, you know, because this wasn't his idea of hell on earth or already, it wasn't just any random girl taking him home, it was _Katniss_ \- the girl of his dreams and the entire reason he'd made an ass of himself and gotten locked up last night.

Not that any of that was her fault, no- Peeta was a big boy (wolf?), and he would take responsibility for his actions, which had been idiotic. He'd spotted Katniss walking out of Sae's with Gale Hawthrone last night and seen red. Fucking Gale with his hands on her back, Gale as he leaned in and tried to kiss her. Peeta couldn't help feeling like he was getting punished for being too much of a chicken shit to ask her out on a date himself.

Peeta had been so drunk he hadn't realized that he'd shapeshifted before going after Gale, barking and snarling as if he were rabid. Which hadn't been ideal- although looking back on it, if he ever did want to try talking to Katniss, it was probably better that she didn't know it had been him acting like a jackass that night. 

And now he was in a huge mess because of that behavior. He just needed to figure out how to get out of the Everdeen's home and back to his place before things got any worse.

  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  


Well, maybe Peeta would wait just a tad longer before sneaking home.

He was finding it hard to leave once he ended up sprawled out on the couch with his head resting on Katniss's lap. She was using her nails to scratch the top of his head, and behind his ears, something he'd just discovered was his idea of heaven in wolf form. 

Peeta knew he'd have to be careful, or he might end up humping her leg before the day was out- and there was no coming back from that brand of shame.

"Scruffy seems happy," Prim said, petting the smooth fur of his back. 

"Scruffy" sighed again and closed his eyes. That's _not a very original name,_ Peeta thought. _But it's not like I can stay with them for long, so what does it matter? She could call me Shithead if she wanted to._

"He sure does like you, doesn't he? I thought he was going to be my dog. Huh." Prim continued, her tone of voice a little salty. 

Katniss laughed, bending over Scruffy's head and kissing the space between his ears, letting her lips linger there before laying her head on his and curling her entire body in towards him. 

"He's not a pillow," Prim said.

"I disagree," Katniss said. The dog's fur was soft, warm, and silky, and he smelled good, not a scent one would associate with a dog. It was more like cookies, which was unexpected but pleasant. 

Katniss had never really been a dog person, so it was surprising how safe and comfortable she felt with this one. Her anxiety melted away as she cuddled with him.

"I've never seen you that affectionate with a person, let alone a dog," Prim continued.

"Maybe he can be my therapy dog," Katniss said. "I need something after seeing Gale last night- which was terrible, by the way. And Scruffy is a very good boy, much nicer than human ones."

"Your date with Gale couldn't have been that bad," Prim chided. 

"It was," Katniss said. "He wouldn't keep his hands off of me! He kept trying to touch my butt."

Peeta nuzzled against her gently, but he couldn't help but rub his head against her in a territorial manner. 

If only leaving his scent on her actually would work to keep human guys away. _I knew_ _something_ _was_ _wrong, that bastard. That's okay, Katniss- I'll be your therapy dog as long as you want me to,_ he thought _._

"I wouldn't complain if his brother's hands were all over me." Prim giggled. "Rory is _cute_."

Katniss sat up and glared at her sister. "You are not allowed to say things like that. You're twelve. You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yeah, and you're sixteen. You should want guys to hold you and kiss you," Prim countered. "Don't act like there's something wrong with me when you're the one who's a weirdo."

"I'm not- Prim, I'm not a weirdo! Why would you want some guy you aren't even interested in putting his hands all over you?" Katniss asked as she rested her head on Scruffy again. She was instantly calmer. Maybe they really should keep him.

"Why wouldn't you?" Prim teased.

Katniss sighed. "With that attitude, you are never, ever going to be allowed to date, so that you know."

_Can't say I blame you for that Katniss. She's too cute, and there are too many assholes looking for nice girls to take advantage of,_ Peeta thought as his eyes slipped closed. He was fully aware that he needed to figure out a way to get home, but the drunken night and short amount of sleep he'd gotten had caught up with him. He couldn't fight the drowsiness off any longer if he tried.

Peeta was so damn comfortable laying draped across the girl of his dreams, and Katniss was petting his head and telling him he was a _good_ _boy…_ not to mention she'd just validated his distrust of his arch-nemesis Gale.

And well- maybe he was a _good_ _boy_ after all.

It was only moments later that he was snoring lightly.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

.Katniss was not quite awake and not quite asleep, lying in a half-dream state on her couch as she began to rouse herself. The lazy glow from the afternoon sun shining through the living room window blanketed her in delicious warmth, sprawling across and making every inch of her feel impossibly cozy. 

Wait, though. Katniss realized it wasn't just the sunshine giving her this covered feeling. There was also a substantial, persistent weight pressing her down into the couch, and it only took a moment to remember the dog they'd picked up from the animal shelter. 

_Scruffy._ Still here, still cuddling. 

Katniss hazily wondered how long they'd been napping. She remembered Prim was planning to go shopping with their mom, so that must be why the house was so quiet. She couldn't remember a time when she had napped this long in the afternoon, yet Katniss still felt as though she'd drank too much nighttime cold medicine- her eyes refused to open, and her limbs were heavy.

Katniss's hand lifted just far enough to comb her fingers through the dog's silky fur, in easy reach because his head was resting on her torso. Funnily enough, and she blamed it on the persistent drowsiness when she caressed Scruffy's head, what she felt seemed more like human hair than fur. But that was impossible.

Unable to peek her eyes open even a millimeter to investigate, Katniss felt herself slip further back into her dreams. 

She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so well.

* * *

Peeta woke up before Katniss, stretching a little to get the stiffness out of his limbs, surprised to find she was still sleeping. 

He angled his head to get a more comfortable look at Katniss's face, soft and relaxed in sleep. He might never work up the nerve to talk to her one-on-one, but while he was here with her and they were cuddled up together, what was it going to hurt to admire the view? Honestly, he couldn't feel too bad about it when he thought of the way she'd snuggled up to him and called him a good boy- heck his tail was wagging now just thinking about it. 

She'd seemed to enjoy cuddling with him, so where was the harm? And besides, Katniss had called him her emotional support dog. So as her support dog, Peeta supposed, he had the right to stay.

Her head was resting on a throw pillow, and the afternoon sunlight highlighted her face and allowed him to see minute details about her that he'd never had the chance to take in before. She was beautiful this way, all smooth skin, black eyelashes lying against her cheeks already flushed from the heat of the sun coming in through the large window above them. It could've had something to do with his furry body lying across hers. 

Peeta liked the idea of that. 

Her lips parted slightly, and he noticed dried saliva at one corner of her lips, which made him feel oddly protective of her. At least he hoped it was pure protectiveness and not just him being a weirdo- he wanted to be the only one to see her that way. Other than her family, of course. It wasn't that weird, was it- wanting to watch her sleep while he protected her? It wasn't like he was some psycho who was entertaining thoughts of dragging Katniss off to his den somewhere.

Okay, Peeta actually kind of wanted to do that too, if he was honest with himself. But only if she wanted to go, which she didn't, so he needed to stop thinking about her that way. He was afraid he was going to embarrass himself if he didn't stop.

He scooted up her body to get closer to her face then. He took a deep sniff of her, the distinct scent of _Katniss_ not as intense along her hairline as it had been radiating from between her legs (he would not let himself go _there_ ) but wolf form or no, he knew taking a nose full of her delicious-smelling, pheromone-laden-

_Stop it, dumbass,_ he told himself.  _Calm down._ That would be a significant violation of Katniss's established trust in "Scruffy." 

Don't _even think about it._

Peeta nudged her face with his muzzle, and when she didn't wake up, he licked the corner of her mouth to get rid of the dried saliva gathered there. That probably _was_ gross, but he couldn't resist all of his natural canine urges. Besides, it wasn't like he was sticking his tongue in her mouth. He would want to be in his human form if that ever happened.

Katniss stretched out beneath him, moving her head away from his nose and tongue until she woke up completely, wriggling away from his ministrations. "Scruffy!" she said, laughing. Her hands moved up to his head, and she scratched around his ears while he remained stretched out over her. It felt so good that Peeta couldn't help himself. He dipped his nose behind her ear to lick the side of her neck. 

"That tickles," she giggled as he moved up to her earlobe.

She dug her fingers into his fur, and when she tugged on his coat, Peeta felt a stirring begin in his groin. _Shit. He'd_ better stop- he didn't want Katniss to catch him with a raging dog boner. Once again, anything involving his dick was something he'd prefer to do with her in human form.

While Peeta tried to think about things like the Pirate's upcoming bullpen this spring, Katniss wrapped her arms around his middle and pulled him close. He had no choice but to lay down on top of her while she rested her head on his. 

_-baseball, smelly socks, Rye's bare ass when I walked in on him getting out of the shower last week-_

"It's so nice to have someone to snuggle with," Katniss told him, sighing contentedly. "Most people think I'm prickly, but you don't think that, do you, boy?"

Peeta licked her cheek, gently, before laying his head on her chest. He hoped that wasn't too pervy; it was just that her breasts made an excellent pillow. 

"It's just hard sometimes," Katniss continued. "I just, I don't know- it seems like I have to act like I don't feel anything or I'll fall apart, you know? And sometimes, I wonder if I still do feel anything. Sometimes I think maybe I am just this cold girl like Gale said I was last night. But he kept trying to kiss me-"

Peeta growled low in his throat at her words. Next time he saw Gale Hawthrone, that guy was getting his ass handed to him. _Son of a bitch._

"Oh, how silly of me. I forgot that you don't like Gale either, do you?" Katniss squeezed him extra tight, seeming to understand what his mildly aggressive behavior meant. "I forgot you were growling at him last night. You're my hero. You know that?"

Peeta snuggled closer as she continued to talk. His tail thumped a few times against the couch in encouragement. 

"It's just that I have to be strong for my mom, and I have to be there for Prim all the time. I love them both, and it's just a lot on my shoulders, you know? And I miss my dad so much," Katniss confessed, her voice sounding warbly like she was on the verge of tears. "He's been gone for two years now, and it was so hard around here right after he died. Mom stopped doing everything. She's a lot better now, but I'm still so mad at her sometimes. Everything feels like it's resting on my shoulders, and I feel like if I'm not careful, it's all going to collapse around me."

Peeta had never heard Katniss talk so much or so freely, not once in all the time he's known her, and they've shared classes since Ms. Trinket had them both in preschool. He hated that she felt this way, but he was more than happy to let her confide in him.

Katniss wiped a tear out of the corner of her eye finally, and let out a ragged breath. Her smile was a little shaky, so he licked her cheek again. He wanted her to know that she could trust him. Wolf or human, he'd keep all of her secrets safe. Peeta would like to know everything that was going on inside that head of hers.

"Well, that's certainly enough about me," she said finally, resting her forehead against his for a minute before sitting up, looking as though she was feeling better. "What do you want to do? We're kind of limited, unfortunately. I'd take you for a walk, but we don't have a leash. Although I don't think there's a leash law…"

Peeta didn't hesitate to roll over to his side and present her with his belly before she'd even had a chance to finish her sentence. He couldn't talk, but he sure as hell didn't want to take a walk and run the risk of being seen by someone he knew- he would never hear the end of it if another member of the pack caught him that way. What he wanted to do was stay right beside her, and figured the best way to do that was acting like he wanted her to pet him, which he did. Maybe she'd even call him a "good boy" again.

Katniss compiled with his non-verbal request by rubbing his belly. After a moment, it became apparent that she'd noticed the way Peeta was sort of, well, at _half-mast (_ to put it delicately) from her touch. He couldn't help it. It was just a natural reaction when he got excited. He didn't even have to be _aroused_ for little wolf-Peeta to wake up. He didn't think. 

"Oh, Scruffy!" she laughed, and Peeta's ego dropped significantly at the sound. No dude wanted his junk laughed at, even if he was in animal form. 

"If we keep you, we're going to have to do something about that. Mags did say that you haven't been neutered, Scruffy."

At the word _neutered,_ Peeta leaped off the couch. It was probably best to cut cuddle hour short if this was the way the conversation was going to go.

"Oh, does that offend you, me talking about getting you neutered?" Katniss asked him.

He covered his face with one paw, wishing she'd stop using that word, and she almost immediately picked up on his hurt feelings. "I didn't mean to hurt your pride. I'm sorry, Scruffy."

Peeta nudged the palm of her hand with his nose in a gesture of forgiveness. Since he had no intention of sticking around the Everdeen's place long enough for the family to even consider such a thing as _neutering-_ just thinking about the word made him cringe- he supposed he could forgive her.

Katniss didn't mean any harm; he was just pretty attached to his testicles. 

Compulsively, he squatted down and licked himself, to verify that everything was still there, although he knew he really shouldn't.

"Scruffy, I don't need to see that!" Katniss chided him but was laughing as she got up off the couch. 

Peeta straightened quickly. Damn it; he thought he'd been sneakier than that- he wished she hadn't seen him lick his balls. How embarrassing.

"Come on, let's run you outside," she said, and he was glad for the change of subject. "I'm sure you have to pee by now."

* * *

"How'd you get back here?" Rye asked his brother later in the comfort of his own house. He tossed some clothes on the bed and turned around so Peeta could change back into human form and get dressed.

Once he'd switched, Peeta cleared his throat, relieved to be able to speak again. "I acted like I was chasing a cat," he answered his brother, highly disgruntled that he'd had to resort to such indignity. He bent over and stepped into his underwear.

Rye didn't say anything- just snickered with his back still turned.

"Don't even get started with me," Peeta said, sliding on the sweatpants and snatching his t-shirt off the bed, "why didn't you come and get me from the shelter?"

"I tried!" Rye answered, still staring at the wall. "Are you decent yet?" he asked a moment later.

"Yes. And how is it you just "tried?" Peeta scowled at the back of his brother's head as he tugged on the t-shirt.

Rye turned around. "When I got there, that old lady who runs the place-"

"Mags?"

"Yeah, that's her," Rye snapped his fingers. 

Peeta rolled his eyes at his brother's actions. Rye ought to know that he could see right through that crap by now. "Quit trying to change the subject," he said, shoving his arms through the sleeves.

"Anyway, she told me about Katniss and her sister taking you home," Rye told him. "Listen- don't be mad, dude. I figured this was your chance to do something about her after all these years finally you've spent watching her like a creep."

"I'm not a creep!"

Rye flopped down on Peeta's bed and stretched out, closing his eyes. "Hey, I covered for you with Mom, so you've got to give me credit for that, at least."

"How did you manage that, anyway?" Peeta asked. He sat next to his brother on the edge of the bed after digging a pair of socks out. He wondered what lie Rye told and what story he would need to think of to cover for it. They'd have to be careful; their mother was the literal definition of the word _hardass_. 

"I'm her favorite," Rye answered.

Well, Peeta knew _he wasn't_ their mother's favorite by a long shot, so he chose to change the topic. There was too much on his mind to worry about inconsequential details now, especially those things he could get caught up on the details of later. "Did you pick up my clothes where I left them last night? Those were my favorite jeans and my good shoes," Peeta asked his brother instead. "Please tell me you grabbed them."

"Yeah, they're in my car. Now, enough about all that. I need some details. What happened with Katniss?" Rye prodded.

"Well, let's see," Peeta said, tossing a dirty towel at his brother. "I was in wolf form the whole time, so it's obvious that we made out for hours on end."

"Really?" Rye asked, perking up instantly.

Peeta rolled his eyes. "No, _asshole,_ that is not what happened. And do me a favor- would you get out of here?" he added. "I appreciate what you did, well, you didn't do much, I guess, but thanks anyway. I want to be alone now." He needed time to think, and he felt terrible about the way he'd left Katniss. She'd been so sweet to him, and then he just took off and left her. She was probably worried about him and searching the neighborhood. And she'd called him a _good boy._ But he wasn't a good boy, after all, was he?

"Fine, fine. Find me once you've pulled that bug that crawled up your ass and died back out. I'll be waiting for details then," Rye said as he got up from the bed and headed for the door.

Once the door clicked behind his brother, Peeta sighed. He knew what he had to do. He wondered if she slept with the windows open the same way he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Just one more to go, I think. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Katniss sat up, startled awake. There was a distinct scratching sound coming from just outside her window. 

She hadn't been sleeping very well, although it was undoubtedly late enough. She'd been too concerned about Scruffy and his whereabouts. Katniss had been miserable all evening, trying to think of what she was going to tell Mags. Although knowing Mags, she'd probably pat her on the back and say something about "these things sometimes happen, dear," or some other crap meant to make her feel better.

In addition to worrying about the dog and Mags, Katniss had to admit that her feelings were hurt. She'd thought she forged some bond today, but obviously, it must have meant more to her than it did Scruffy. It was silly to get so attached to a dog, er wolf-dog, she supposed was the right term, but she couldn't help it. When he'd looked at her with those soft eyes and nudged her hand or licked her face, she felt like he'd cared. Like he was listening to her.

But then he disappeared, chasing after a stupid cat.

On first consideration, Katniss dismissed the noise outside her house, figuring it must've been a tree branch scraping against the siding, but then a low whine began to accompany the scratching sound. That gave her pause.

"Scruffy?"

Climbing out of bed and going to the window, Katniss pushed it open far enough that she was able to lean a good bit of the way out. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the backyard sufficiently, she spotted him.

Scruffy!

He was sitting just beneath the window, patiently waiting for her arrival. His eyes were glowing from the reflection of her neighbor's security light. 

Scruffy gave a little yip when he saw her. To greet her, he stood on his hind legs and stretched his large body upward so that he could rest his paws on the windowsill. The Everdeen's house was a small, ground-level ranch, so he didn't have far to go. 

"Hey, boy," Katniss greeted him affectionately but made sure to keep her voice low. She didn't want to wake up her mom or Prim. "You know, you were naughty to run away like that," she continued, scolding him. She hated to raise her voice, but he needed to know his behavior had been wrong. "I was very worried about you."

Scruffy tilted his head in question like he wasn't sure whether or not he was welcome anymore.

Katniss sighed, leaning so far forward that her braid slipped off her shoulder and hung like a drawstring out the window between them. "But I'm glad you're back," she admitted. "Where'd you go this afternoon?"

Scruffy yipped again, before shuffling on his back legs and crouching like he was ready to jump in through the window.

And just like that, all was forgiven at the sign of his desire to be with her again. "Alright," she told him, her voice soft, "let me get out of your way. We could always use the front door, though, you know," Katniss laughed as she stepped aside to make room for him. "That's what civilized people do, at least." He was so big, and his legs were so long, she did not doubt that he would make it.

Scruffy proved her right, effortlessly leaping through the open window and landing with a thump on her bedroom floor. He then proceeded to turn in a circle a few times before approaching her.

"You make that look easy," Katniss told him, crouching down so that she could put her arms around his broad shoulders and nuzzle against his head." I missed you so much today. You had me worried." Scruffy laid his head on her shoulder and let her pet the silky, silvery-blond fur that covered his body. When she rested her head against his head, he turned and licked her face.

* * *

Peeta peeked one eye open, just as soon as he heard the soft rhythm of Katniss's breathing even out, signaling that she'd fallen asleep. He arched his back, getting in a good stretch before settling on the mattress again and resting his head on his paws. While he was glad to be back with Katniss, he also knew what he was doing tonight couldn't be a long term solution to the problem. It wasn't like he could sleep here every night; he had school, and shifts at the bakery and other responsibilities to consider. 

He knew these visits were going to have to come to an end at some point, but it seemed like some unstoppable force kept drawing him back to her. He'd had a crush on her for years, and that had to be part of the reason why he felt the way he felt, but this tie seemed even more profound than that- something more permanent than puppy love. The two of them had forged this bond, and now he never wanted to be away from her again. The evening at home had been torture until he'd found an opportunity to slip out in his wolf form and find her still.

He'd spent a lot of time that evening thinking about imprinting- when his werewolf form would become permanently tied to his mate. He'd heard that imprinting could happen without either party being fully aware of it. He didn't think that could've been what had happened with Katniss, though. They were just kids, and she didn't even know who he was.

She only knew him as "Scruffy," so how could she be his mate if she hadn't even carried on a human-to-human conversation with him?

Being a werewolf was so weird sometimes.

The only thing Peeta knew for sure was that he was in pretty deep at this point. He was going to have to tell her the truth about who he was at some point soon. He just hoped he'd think of a way to do it without losing the bond he'd built with her.

* * *

A few hours later, Katniss woke up shivering. The temperature must have dropped since she'd opened the window for Scruffy to climb in because her room was downright cold now. She briefly considered getting up and shutting the window, but then she sensed Scruffy's warmth on the other side of the mattress. That would be a quicker way to warm up, so she didn't hesitate to move closer to him.

But what Katniss found when she got close enough to curl her body around Scruffy, he wasn't, well, precisely what she was expecting. 

Instead of fur, her hands landed on bare skin- warm, smooth human skin that presumably belonged to a person. If the whoever it was hadn't been so large, Katniss might have assumed it was Prim, who was known to climb into bed with her after watching too many scary movies. But Prim didn't have a broad back and muscular arms. "Hmm," the person's voice mumbled, and she realized her hand had come to rest on what she quickly determined was a boy's side. She tensed immediately, finding it hard to breathe as panic took over. 

What was a boy doing in her bed? Katniss had zero experience with boys, other than stupid Gale Hawthrone trying to grope her the other night. She hadn't invited this one here, whoever he was.

"Mom, it's not time to get up yet, is it?" it sounded like he was saying, "just a few more minutes…"

Holding her breath, trying to be as still and quiet as possible, Katniss slowly removed her hand from his side. He flinched a little as she took her touch away, as though the brush of her fingers had tickled him. And then, when she was sliding off the bed to assume a standing position on her bedroom floor, preparing ready to grab a ball bat or something before he woke up, the boy rolled over.

Katniss got a good look at a particular area of his body before he settled onto his side again. He faced her, his body partially obscured by the darkness of the room once again. She averted her gaze quickly, heated embarrassment spreading through every inch of her. 

What was she supposed to do now? Whoever the boy laying in her bed was, he was naked. C _ompletely_ _nude_ , and she'd gotten an eyeful of a specific male body part she'd only ever seen pictures of after spending too much time with her cousin Johanna, who was five years older and a lot more "advanced" than Katniss was. Despite all that preparation Johanna had _sworn_ would be beneficial to her, Katniss realized she wasn't ready to see the real thing. Not by a long shot.

But while she was terrified he was going to wake up any moment, now that she'd gotten a better look at him (literally), she was curious about who he was. She studied the boy, trying her hardest to keep her focus on the region of his body that encompassed his chest upward. She couldn't help but sneak a look at the curve of his hip and bottom, though. She felt ashamed of herself for gawking, but she still had to admit he had a beautiful backside. 

His whole physique looked good, actually, robust and muscular. 

And floating around on top of her embarrassment, there was this feeling that she should know who he was. There was something decidedly familiar about him. Katniss supposed that had to be the reason why while she _was_ freaking out, it wasn't a _complete_ freakout. She was kind of proud of herself for the level of calm she was maintaining, seeing that there was a naked boy in her bed. 

Katniss looked at him again, at his broad-shoulders and fair skin and hair that seemed blond in the darkness of the room. Since he'd turned his face into her pillow, the shadow he was lying in made it hard to parse out his facial features. Slowly, on soundless feet, she crept closer to the bed again, after determining he was still asleep. Katniss eased down into a crouching position and put her hands flat on the mattress to support her weight as she bent her whole body close to his face to get a better look at him. 

She was only inches from the boy, really wishing she'd gotten around to buying a nightlight because it wouldn't have required her to stand so close to get a good look at him when his eyes opened. And the realization hit her- that moment she got a look at those eyes she knew were blue, even though it was too dark in the room to see the color. Peeta Mellark.

"Katniss?" he mumbled, sounding confused as he looked up at her. His voice was thick with sleep, and consequently, he didn't seem concerned about the fact that he was naked in her bed in the middle of the night. But just a second later, Katniss was as aware as he when the realization of what was going on struck him. "What am I...." his voice dropped off, and he sounded just as horrified as she felt. He sat up quickly and looked down, before hurriedly grabbing her blankets to pull across his waist. "Oh no, oh no, this is bad-" he began.

Katniss shrieked. It was so unlike her, but she couldn't help it. His sudden movements had startled her. And quicker than she could blink, Peeta was completely upright. Having forgone the blankets, he clapped one hand on her arm while the other went to cover her mouth. His grip was firm but not oppressively tight as he held her in place. While her heart thundered in her ears, she was at least aware that he wasn't pressing his body against hers, as if Peeta realized that would frighten her even more than she already was. 

And she was scared. Tears stung behind her eyes. 

What was Peeta Mellark, a guy she wasn't exactly friends with but was pretty sure she'd shared classes with since they were in preschool (and she'd always thought seemed nice), doing naked in her bedroom in the middle of the night? He didn't seem like the type of guy who'd-

She couldn't even let her brain latch on the word that sprung to mind. It was too frightening.

"Katniss," he whispered, his voice urgent in her ear. The feel of his breath made her tremor. "I didn't know this would happen… I swear it's never happened before."

" _What_ happened," she asked, her words muffled against his hand and sounding garbled, "what are you doing here?" Katniss could sense Peeta hesitating for just a minute, and then his hands were gone, and he was leaning back on the bed, giving her space.

"Where are your clothes?" she asked, her voice shrill. 

Peeta seemed to shrink back at her tone. He didn't say anything, just grabbed the blanket to cover himself. When he finally looked up, Katniss folded her arms over her chest and scowled at him. The immediate fear she'd felt had abated once she realized that Peeta was even more uncomfortable than she was. Maybe he was just a sleepwalker or something. She wasn't exactly sure where Peeta lived, but she had a hard time imagining him walking naked across town in his sleep and climbing in her open window. But stranger things had happened, she supposed.

"Sorry I grabbed you like that," he apologized, sliding back further on the bed and tucking the covers around his legs and waist before raking a hand through his hair. "I can't imagine what you must be thinking right now."

"Yeah, you scared the crap out of me."

He laughed at that, although the sound did nothing to disguise his decided discomfort. "You probably think I'm some kind of pervert."

Katniss had to fight back a smile at that. She felt like a little bit of a pervert for staring at his naked body while he was sleeping, although it's not like she'd set out to do any such thing. It'd just happened. "A little, maybe. But forget the why for the moment," she said finally, dropping her arms to gesture at the open window, "The thing is that I don't even know _how_ you got in here. I'd have thought Scruffy would have stopped you."

Peeta sucked in his breath before speaking again. "Well, it's a funny thing. About that, actually-"

Horror washed over Katniss at the realization that struck her. Her thoughts shifted entirely away from Peeta Mellark- she'd forgotten about the dog! "Scruffy!" she said frantically. Her eyes began raking around the room. "Where'd he go? Did you run him off?" she asked, getting down on all fours next to the bed and looking underneath it. Where could he have gone?

"Run him off?" Peeta said, "no. No. Listen, Katniss…"

"Katniss," she sat up quickly, frozen at the utterly unexpected sound of her mom's voice on the other side of the door, "what's going on in there? I heard you scream. Are you alright?" She glanced at Peeta from her spot on the floor. He was scrambling backward across her bed, shaking his head like a madman. He looked wholly terrified at the thought of her mom walking in the room. She didn't blame him. How were they supposed to explain this? She wasn't stupid- Katniss knew how this looked. She was sure her mom would think they were having sex. Why else would a naked boy be in a teenage girl's room in the middle of the night? "Katniss-" her mom began again when Katniss didn't answer her. 

Why were her lips refusing to move? Oh right, she was panicking, that's why.

"Honey, I'm coming in," her mom said again.

Katniss stood to her feet quickly and watched as the door handle turned, trying to prepare herself for the moment her mother walked into the room. The only thing she could hope was that Peeta had found a way to hide next to the bed. Maybe he'd find a way to camouflage under the covers or something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love to hear from you guys, let me know what you thought of the chapter. Theories are lots of fun too :)


	4. Chapter 4

sIn the seconds she was left waiting before her mother opened her bedroom door, somehow one of the most drawn-out but quickest moments of her life, Katniss wondered if it was possible to have a heart attack at sixteen only out of fear. Her pulse was thundering in her throat; at the same time, the muscles there felt paralyzed. She tried swallowing, but couldn't get the extra saliva to go down; her chest hurt, and was that a tingling feeling moving down her left arm? Wait, no, that wasn't right. Women had back pain, not numbness- no, maybe that wasn't right either.

She had visions of her mother locking Peeta in the closet and calling 911 (she could probably attribute that vision to rewatching _Tangled_ with Prim a few nights ago) once she discovered him here. And while he was drug off to jail, Katniss would be forced into a horrible conversation with her mother about "responsibility" and "recklessness" and there would also be topics coming up like "sexual urges" and "teenage pregnancy" and _ohmigod_ she was freaking out now…

And Peeta? Well, she hoped Peeta could talk his way out of this. While it was true that Katniss had found him naked in her bedroom, she also hated to see him sent to jail because of it. Despite the way things had happened tonight, he did seem like a decent guy, and there had to be some explanation for what he was doing here.

Or was there? Was she giving Peeta too much credit? She was so confused. Maybe she was overthinking things- perhaps he _was_ just some sort of pervert.

But with that jumble of thoughts racing through her mind, the feeling that registered the strongest was still panic. And now the door was opening. _Breathe Katniss, remember to breathe,_ she told herself as spots formed behind her eyes. Well, blacking out wouldn't help this nightmare situation, so she exhaled loudly, thinking- _Crap, that was probably not at all inconspicuous._

"Katniss?" Her mom was there, peeking her head around the wide-open door; much to her relief, the only thing her mother's expression reflected was a mild concern, not the horror of finding a naked boy in her sixteen-year-old daughter's bedroom. 

_Peeta must have found a way to hide,_ Katniss realized, wishing she could turn around and check for herself. But she couldn't, that would raise suspicions, so she wanted to get rid of her mother as quickly as possible.

"What's going on, honey? I heard you scream," her mom told her, leaning against the door frame. She didn't look quite awake herself, her hair disheveled and donned in her ancient bathrobe- the one she refused to get rid of because it had been one of the last gifts from Katniss's father before he died.

Katniss laughed, a nervous strangled noise, but it was the best she could manage under the circumstances. "I just had a bad dream," she fibbed, attempting to swallow again because of the enormous pool of saliva forming in her mouth. That time it worked. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" her mom asked, crossing her arms over her chest and looking as though she was ready to settle in the doorway for a long talk. 

_Oh no. No-no-no._ Katniss needed to get her out of here before she caught a glance at Peeta. The longer her mother stuck around, the better her chances of finding him. His hiding spot couldn't be that good, he'd only had a few seconds to find it. "That's okay; I can't even remember what it was about now," she replied, "weird, I know."

"Alright, if you're sure," her mom pushed off from the doorway, ready to head back to bed. 

_That was easier than I thought. "I'm_ sure," Katniss answered, "I think I can go back to sleep now," she added for good measure, stretching her arms above her head. She yawned before grabbing the handle to shut the door behind her mother- but she swore her heart stopped when she peeked over Katniss's shoulder at the same time she heard a rustling sound coming from the bed behind her. 

_Seriously Peeta?_ She seethed, _Mom was almost gone! Couldn't_ he have just laid still a little longer?

Her mom smiled, patting her arm gently before stepping back. "I'm glad to see Scruffy showed back up. I told you not to worry so much. Why didn't you say anything?"

_Scruffy?_

"Oh, I don't know," she hem hawed, hoping her mother wouldn't pick up on the nervous squeak in her voice, "I figured it could wait until morning since he's right back where he ought to be." And before she got a chance to replay, Katniss grabbed the handle and began to shut her bedroom door, forcing her mother to move out into the hallway unless she wanted the door to close on her nose. 

"Good night, Mom," she called to her from the other side of the closed door. Katniss knew it was rude but honestly wasn't sure how much more of this she could take without cracking under pressure. Peeta must have managed to get under the blankets or something she assumed, and while she wasn't sure how he'd managed to make his body look like a dog beneath the covers, she knew the two of them were _this_ _close_ to being home free.

Katniss sighed, leaning her forehead against the door as she heard her mom's footsteps disappear down the hall; her bedroom was on the other side of the house, so she knew she probably wouldn't be back. And somehow, with no help from Peeta, she'd pulled it off; Katniss had kept him from being hauled off to jail or something (why she cared so much about that she wasn't sure), and had managed to get rid of her mother without incident- although she'd barely kept herself from slamming the door in her face. But either way, she'd done it.

She remained with her forehead against the door until a stirring sound on the bed had her speaking up. "Are you decent?" she asked, hearing Peeta get up.

He didn't answer, and a moment later, she felt a nudge against her hand. When she looked down, there was Scruffy, looking up at her with his soulful eyes. "Where have you been hiding this whole time?" she asked the wolf-dog, dropping down onto her knees to hug him. The contact made her feel much better. Scruffy backed away from her slightly, leaving her disappointed. "Don't you want to cuddle?" she asked softly. Why was he acting weird all of a sudden? Was it because Peeta was still here?

Speaking of Peeta, where was he?

"Peeta?" Katniss called his name softly as she stood up again and walked towards the bed before getting down on her hands and knees to check underneath it. After glancing around the room, she opened her closet and even looked behind her dresser.

He'd completely disappeared on her. Had he managed to sneak out the window before her mom came into the room? She had no idea how he could have done that without her noticing. "Where did he go?" she asked Scruffy. For a dog, he wasn't offering much help. He had followed her around the room while she looked, but now he whined, pacing back and forth like he was trying to get her attention. 

Once Scruffy realized he had her attention, he headed for the window and put his paws on the sill. He began hopping on his back legs like he wanted to go outside again.

Katniss followed him, crossing her arms over her chest and nodding in the direction his nose was pointing. "Do you know where he is?" she studied Scruffy for a minute, realizing that he seemed pretty insistent on going back out through the window. "Is Peeta outside, or do you just need to pee?"

Scruffy made a huffing noise before hopping on his back legs like he was ready to jump out again.

"Do I need to remind you? We do have a front door," Katniss told him wryly. Instead of acknowledging her chastisement, Scruffy took a mighty leap through the open window. She watched, incredulous, as his hind legs disappeared into the dark. 

Crap, she couldn't let him get away again! 

"Wait for me," Katniss whispered harshly. She leaned out the window and squinted into the dark, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that he hadn't run off yet. Scruffy was staring at the window like he was waiting for her to follow him.

Katniss grabbed a sweatshirt off the floor and tugged it on over her shorts and nightshirt. It was cold outside now, and she didn't have the luxury of thick fur to keep her warm. If Peeta was still out there, he had to be freezing. "Wait a minute Scruffy," she whispered, realizing that she had probably better bring something for him too. "I'm going to grab a blanket for Peeta. He has to be freezing right now."

In acknowledgment, Scruffy huffed but lay down in the grass to wait on her, resting his head on his paws and blinking.

Quickly, Katniss dug an old fleece blanket out of the closet, trying to be as quiet as possible as she moved around her bedroom- she didn't want to take a chance on waking her sister up. Prim was at the age where she slept like the dead, but still, this thing with Peeta was something that she didn't want the rest of her family to find out about, and Prim couldn't keep a secret for anything.

Holding onto the window frame, Katniss hauled herself up and over, and as soon as her bare feet made contact with the grass of the back yard Scruffy trotted over to her, using his muzzle to nudge her hand that held the blanket. She pulled it away from his reach, not wanting him to run off with it or chew it up, but he kept persisting until finally he just overpowered her, grabbing ahold of it with his teeth. With a quick tug, Scruffy pulled it out of her grasp and took off for the woods that bordered the back of her yard. "Scruffy!" she harshly whispered as she chased after him. "Don't you run off again- come back here with that blanket!" 

But he didn't heed her. His body looked like a silvery flash as he ran and finally disappeared into the treeline. 

Katniss groaned. She was going to have to invest in a leash for him. "I brought that out for Peeta," she said dejectedly after following after the wolf-dog for a few minutes with no luck. Scruffy had disappeared again. "If he's here somewhere- and now he's going to be cold."

"Katniss?" 

Oh. There was Peeta, approaching from her side with the blanket wrapped around his middle. He was fidgeting with the ends of it, tucking the edges in around his waist as though he was afraid the material would come unwrapped. She was glad it was dark outside because Katniss felt hot all over, remembering the way she'd gawked at him before he woke up. She shook her head, trying to remove the unbidden thoughts of what he'd looked like lying on top of her mattress.

The whole situation was mortifying. As fascinated as Katniss had been by him- she could at least admit that to herself- the more substantial part of her wished she could go back and undo it all. The thought that she'd seen Peeta that way without him knowing made her uncomfortable. She felt like she'd violated his trust or something.

"Hey," she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest, "I see Scruffy must have brought you the blanket."

"Yeah, about that. Wait no, that can wait," Peeta said, shaking his head briefly like he was chastising himself. He was acting weird.

But what about this evening wasn't odd? She felt that way herself.

"Thank you for the blanket. And thank you for covering for me back there," Peeta added, sounding genuinely grateful.

Katniss shrugged, glancing away. She was having a hard time looking him in the eye. "It's okay. I didn't want my mother to find you there. She would have thought we were, well, _you_ _know_."

"Having sex?" Peeta answered, the words coming out so quickly that Katniss's mouth nearly dropped down to her knees.

She covered her eyes, embarrassed. Peeta was something else- the way he was able to be so casual talking something like sex when she couldn't even force herself to say the word. Or maybe he'd just been around more than she had; it really wouldn't take much since "as far around" as she'd gotten was a quick, unsolicited look at Peeta's privates. Oh, and she supposed she could count having to shove Gale Hawthorne's hands off her body the other night. Yuck.

"Yes," Katniss admitted grudgingly, still unable to look at him.

He laughed. "Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I shouldn't have said that. I knew what you meant."

She peeked through her fingers at him, just enough to see that he wasn't mocking her before she let her hands drop back down to her sides. "No, it's okay," she said finally, "I just get embarrassed by that stuff too easily," she admitted, feeling marginally better. "I'm probably just immature for my age."

"No," Peeta shook his head, "don't apologize for the way you feel. I, uh, I like you exactly the way you are, honestly," he admitted, his hand going to the back of his head and rubbing through his hair. 

"Like me?" Katniss asked, staring at him because she was genuinely puzzled by his words. "You don't even know me." She knew that might sound a little harsh, but what he was saying didn't make sense.

"I know you a little better than you might think," he told her.

Katniss frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, the comment making her nervous. His comment made second thoughts about everything that had gone on tonight spring up in her mind- the way she'd covered for him, what he'd been doing in her room, the way she'd come out here looking for him with no one any wiser to where she was.

Peeta's eyes went wide. He must've realized he'd scared her. "Shit- sorry. I was afraid this would happen- I've freaked you out. Again."

"A little," Katniss admitted, staring him down. "Can you blame me, though? I don't know you at all, and everything that's happened tonight, it's just been bizarre."

Peeta backed further away from her. "No, I get it," he put his hands up, "there's something I want to talk to you about, but maybe right now isn't the best time. I mean, you don't know me at all. Well, you do a little, but I'd have to go into everything right now, and maybe we should save that for another time."

What he said gave Katniss pause, and she sighed in resignation. There might be something off about him tonight. Still, it was Peeta Mellark, Mr. All-Around-Good-Guy, who used to bring each of their classmates a cupcake on their birthday, with their names scrawled across the top in fancy frosted letters, every year they were in elementary school together. 

Peeta Mellark, who she knew regularly volunteered to tutor middle school English after school.

The number of things Katniss knew about him genuinely surprised her. _I guess I have been paying attention to him,_ she realized. And partly because of that, but mostly because Peeta wasn't acting threatening, just sheepish, Katniss decided to go ahead and give him the benefit of the doubt.

Besides, she could always knee him in the groin if he tried anything or steal his blanket. It's not like he could get far without anything to cover himself. "Go ahead," Katniss told him finally, "I'm waiting."

"It's, okay. Um." Peeta began, obviously nervous.

"Why don't you spit it out? You'd feel a lot better if you did," she prodded impatiently.

Peeta laughed. "You don't beat around the bush, do you?" he remarked, glancing out of the corner of his eye at her.

"I guess I'm pretty blunt. I don't mean to be rude or anything, it's just that whatever it is, tell me. I don't think you can surprise me much at this point."

"I don't know about that," he muttered, staring straight ahead.

Katniss shrugged. 

He sighed. "Okay. Well. I think maybe I should just show you."

"Show me what?" 

Katniss watched as he knelt on the ground with his back to her. When he moved to untie the blanket from around his waist, she flinched. 

What was he doing? 

"What are you doing?" she hissed, "I don't want to see you… your-"

His hands left his waist as Peeta turned around to look at her. "I'm just moving the blanket higher, up over my shoulders," he smirked. "I'm not planning on showing you my dick or anything."

_Too late for that,_ Katniss thought. She became flustered all over again when the scene from her bedroom flashed across her mind. "I guess that's okay then," she muttered to hide her embarrassment.

Peeta's head dropped, and she could tell he was trying to keep her from seeing his laughter.

That made her angry. 

This whole stupid night had made her angry. "You have about a minute," Katniss told him, not attempting to disguise the irritation in her voice, "and then I'm finding my dog and heading back home. And I might even take my blanket with me for that matter."

"Could you sort of just look off to the side for a minute," Peeta asked as he tugged the loose blanket up to his shoulders. "I don't usually have anyone watch me do this."

"Gladly," she told him, "so whatever it is you're doing, why are you showing me?"

"Because... well, you'll see," he answered, "make sure you don't turn all the way around or anything- I want you to know I'm not playing any tricks on you."

"Fine," Katniss said, looking off to the left of Peeta just a little. She could still see him in her peripheral vision. "How's this?"

"Perfect," he said, pulling the blanket over his head. "Here goes nothing."

Like she told him she would, Katniss stared off into a dark patch in the middle of the trees, trying her hardest not to look Peeta's way. It was nearly impossible to keep her word when he was so mysterious about whatever he was up to under that blanket.

Midway through trying not to look at Peeta, she finally gave in and turned her head just a little to the right so that she could watch him. She really couldn't help it. 

So consequently, Katniss saw most of what was happening to him; she watched his body shrink in length but somehow still get taller. 

How was any of this possible? 

"Peeta?" Katniss whispered, approaching him on soft footsteps because she had no idea what she'd just witnessed. "What's going on?" She waited for a moment, but there was no answer from him. "I'm kind of worried here," she said, her voice trembling. "Peeta?"

Still no answer.

Katniss reached out, her hand trembling as she grabbed the blanket and pulled it quickly off. What she saw made her nearly jump out of her skin, and she had her crazy, confusing answer to what had happened beneath the blanket. It was no longer Peeta, but instead Scruffy- staring up at her with the soulful eyes she'd recognize anywhere. What she did know was that all of this was entirely too much for her to comprehend. So Katniss turned around and took off for her house, and as she ran- over the sound of the blood thundering through her ears- she heard him chasing after her, getting closer and closer. 

He was going to catch her soon. And then what?

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this because I didn't want to rush the ending. Because we all know the best part of an Everlark fic is after they get together, right? Right.
> 
> Last chapter coming soon, I'm ready to stick a fork in this story and call it done. :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Even as light and fast on her feet as she was, Katniss was fully aware that Scruff, or Peeta (she wasn't exactly sure what to call him now, which was the least of her problems because, well, whatever she chose to call him, he was a freakin' shape-shifting werewolf. _)_

(A _werewolf.)_

-was getting closer to catching up with her. It seemed inevitable that he eventually would. She heard the unmistakable sound of his feet pounding against the hard-packed earth behind her alongside the rustle of underbrush being disturbed as he darted between the trees. 

_Whatever is happening right now, it can't_ _be_ real; this can't _be_ _happening-_ the words were rolling through her mind but never quite settling down into a complete thought because nothing that was happening right now made any sense. 

_Werewolves aren't real!_

After stumbling across a shallow root in her haste, barely righting herself in time to avoid crashing into the ground, Katniss took a few more steps before finally, her feet landed in the soft grass of her backyard. 

_Maybe I'm dreaming_ , she thought, staring up at the brightly- lit, cloudless night. The stars seemed to wink back at her. The grass was damp beneath her feet. A dream was the best explanation she could come up with, but the only problem was Katniss had never felt more awake. 

And then he'd caught up with her, darting along her side before coming to a stop. He was blocking the path across her lawn to the back window. Peeta ( _Peeta_ , she settled on. Human or wolf form, she had to think of him as Peeta) paced back and forth in front of her. He wasn't behaving aggressively, but every time she went one way, he followed as if he wasn't going to allow her to get past him.

"What do you want from me?" Katniss finally hissed after several failed attempts to get by his large, furry body. She wrapped her arms around herself. She'd begun to shake, not necessarily because of the cold, but more as an after-effect of the adrenaline that'd run its course. 

The two of them locked eyes for a moment, narrowed, angry grey meeting light, sorrowful blue, and his were so expressive Katniss wondered how she hadn't figured out he was no ordinary animal before now. 

"You look sorry anyway," she said, the words slipping out before she'd even had a chance to stop herself. Most of her anger seemed to dissipate with them, disappearing into the darkness around them.

Peeta approached her slowly, cautiously, with his head and tail bent in supplication. When he reached her, meeting no sign of resistance from Katniss, he lowered himself to the ground, resting his muzzle on her feet. Peeta looked up at her, and despite having found out the animal she'd thought was a wolf-dog was a _werewolf_ and not just any old werewolf- 

(Werewolf- a word that she'd somehow managed to suspend her disbelief over in a matter of minutes because, well, a thing was what a thing was. The brain's insistence that something couldn't be real was no match for the eye's physical evidence.) 

-but happened to be a boy from her school who, despite knowing lots of little things about him she didn't _know_. 

Despite those things Peeta had going against them, the pull to be with him was still there. 

Gingerly, Katniss sat down, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "I just, I don't know what I should do here," she said, blinking and looking away. She didn't want him to see her cry.

Peeta let out a little huff, almost as if to say- _me_ _neither._

That made her feel marginally better.

"So, you don't normally go around sleeping next to unsuspecting girls and letting them pet you?" Katniss asked around a choked laugh, scooting her bottom forward enough that she could tuck her legs up and to her chest and rest her chin on top of her bent knees. It was easier to study him that way. "Or do you make the rounds with a different girl every night?"

He made a little back and forth, shaking motion with his head.

"Well, that counts for something, I guess," she told him, reaching out to pet him. Katniss stopped herself, jerking her hand back at the last second. 

How could she touch him now? He wasn't a dog.

Peeta didn't seem to have an issue with her urge to pet him, however. He sat up and nudged her hand with his snout, his eyes taking on a gentle, pleading look.

"I can't just sit here and pet you like I don't know who you are now," she whispered. 

He nudged her hand again in an invitation.

Katniss had to tighten her hands into fists to stop herself. She did want to touch him. The temptation was almost too much to bear. She wanted nothing more than to cuddle with him and bury her face in his soft fur. 

But he wasn't a dog or even a wolf; he was Peeta. 

This situation was all just too weird. 

"I can't do this," she said, pushing herself to her feet abruptly before she did something stupid. "This is just… I just can't." She had to get out of here- and that time, when she walked towards the house, Peeta didn't even try to stop her.

* * *

Much later that morning, while seated at the kitchen table, Katniss stared down into her bowl of cereal with wide, aching eyes. She hadn't gotten any more sleep after she'd climbed through her window again and shut the pane firmly behind her.

The gesture of shutting him out hadn't mattered one way or the other; Peeta hadn't made any attempt to come towards the house again. It was all for the best. 

It didn't matter that she missed him. 

But Katniss couldn't stop thinking about the way he'd watched her shut her bedroom window before he ran off into the woods again. She'd stood at her window and waited until he disappeared. 

Katniss had lain back down, but every time she closed her eyes, Peeta was all she could think of- she kept thinking about him in both of his forms, and it'd been a relief to watch the sun come up this morning. She was glad it was time to get out of bed.

"Are you alright?" Prim asked, sliding into a chair across from Katniss with her breakfast.

"Yeah, I just had trouble sleeping last night," she answered, stirring the rapidly turning to mush mess in the bowl with her spoon.

"That sucks," Prim said around a mouthful of toast. She chewed the bite and chased it with a swallow of milk before speaking up again. "Were you worrying about Scruffy?"

Katniss bit her lip. "Yeah, sort of. He, uh, came back for a while last night."

"So, where is he?" 

"I forgot to shut the window, and he snuck out again."

"Huh," Prim said, picking up crumbs with the tip of her finger and flicking them onto the floor. 

Katniss rolled her eyes at her sister. "Stop that."

"It's fine, it's my turn to clean the kitchen anyway," Prim countered. "Does it matter if I'm sweeping them off the floor or the table? No, it doesn't. But Scruffy, yeah, that's so weird."

"I'm not too worried about him," Katniss said softly, biting her lip to quell the tremor that was beginning there. She was an absolute mess today- there was just this lingering sense of betrayal she couldn't shake every time her thoughts wandered to Peeta. "He seems pretty self-sufficient to me."

"Really?" her sister said, setting her toast down. "What makes you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe Scruffy isn't anyone's pet. Maybe he's, I don't know what he is, but I'm ready to forget about him, I think."

"Katniss…"

She shoved her chair back abruptly, picking up her bowl and carrying it over to the sink, effectively ending the conversation with her sister. There was no way she was going to eat the mess in her bowl now anyway. "Be ready in five minutes," Katniss said, leaning back against the sink.

"But you're not even dressed yet," Prim pointed out before taking a last big bite of her toast. "You can't go to school in your pajamas."

Katniss laughed dryly. There was no way she could sit in the same room with Peeta for the two periods they shared. Not today, and she wasn't entirely sure about tomorrow. "That's because I'm not going. But you are, so be ready in five. I'll drop you off."

* * *

Katniss woke up later that afternoon to the sound of a knock on the front door. She'd fallen into a restless, daytime sleep, one where her brain never did seem to quiet down. She sat up, shoving the loose strands of hair out of her eyes and climbing off the couch to stumble her way across the living room. She was the only one home, so she knew she'd better get it, reasonably sure it was just Prim. Her sister seemed to lose her house key all the time.

Their mom had left for work a few hours ago, but only after getting caught up to date on "Scruffy" and his latest escape. "I'm sorry, honey," she'd told Katniss after finding out he was gone again, "I know you care about him, but I don't think you want to let that dog go in and out of the house at any time of the night."

"I think you're right," she'd had to agree with her mother, because really, what else had there been to say? "I hope whoever his owner is, they start keeping a better eye on him," she added, thinking if Peeta knew what was good for him, he'd give her a wide berth. She was out of sorts for a variety of reasons.

"Prim, if you don't stop losing your house keys," Katniss muttered as she grabbed the handle and turned the lock on the door before tugging it open, "I swear I'm going to-"

On the other side of the door, though, it wasn't Prim. 

Peeta stood waiting on her step with his hands in his pockets, looking sheepish. "Have you got a minute?" he asked, backing up a little to make room while she stepped outside and shut the door behind her. 

"What are you doing here?" she blurted out, her heart in her throat.

What _was_ wrong with him, anyway? Did Peeta think he could just come over like the two of them were friends and act as though nothing weird had happened?

"Is anyone else home?" Peeta asked, running a hand through his hair and ruffling it up all over and leaving it in an unruly mess. 

Katniss found herself resisting the urge to smooth it down. What was it with her and wanting to touch his hair all the time? "No, it's just me. Do you need something?" she asked pointedly.

"Yeah…" he began, "so I can understand that you probably don't want to see me right now-"

"Not especially, no," Katniss agreed. 

Peeta's expression fell, just a little, and she had to steel herself against the oddly protective way she wanted to rush to reassure him. 

No, she couldn't do that. Peeta had lied to her. 

Okay, technically, there wasn't a specific lie he'd told her. The situation was more like a lie of omission.

Yeah, that's what it was. Peeta shouldn't have pretended that he was just some random dog. 

Katniss sighed, utterly conflicted. "What did you need to ask me?" she prodded, her tone gentler that time. 

Peeta glanced around before leaning a little closer and dropping his voice as if he were afraid of being overheard. "I just need to ask- you haven't mentioned anything about… you know, my problem to anyone else, have you? We're, I mean, _me._ I'm not supposed to let others find out." 

He sighed, and she could tell he was growing frustrated with himself. 

"Look, I'm sorry I have to ask you this, but it's important. I wouldn't have come over here if it wasn't. I know you just want to be left alone."

"No, I haven't said anything," she told him, "I just assumed you didn't want me to. Also, you know, anyone I told would probably just think I'm crazy."

Peeta exhaled like he'd been holding his breath since the moment she'd opened her door. His shoulders slumped in relief. 

"But wait a minute," she stopped him, recognizing that he was ready to bolt before she got a chance to yell at him or something. Now that Katniss had him cornered, there were a few things the two of them needed to discuss. She was still mad, and he wasn't going to just leave without answering some questions. "You said we're not supposed to let people find out? Does that mean there are others like you?"

Peeta rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. He stared out across her yard.

She realized he was trying to think of what to tell her. "Don't you lie to me," Katniss added. "I'm not going to say anything. Besides, I told you all kinds of junk about me. You know, back when I thought you were a dog- when you kept lying on top of me and letting me pet you."

"I still don't know how anyone thought I was a dog," Peeta said incredulously, "you people act as if you've never seen a wolf. And, to answer your question, I'm not the only one."

"Thanks for being honest for once," she said, "but don't give me that other crap- I knew you were a wolf the whole time!"

She wasn't going to let him act like this whole thing was her fault.

"If you knew I was a wolf, then why did you keep petting me, why did you want to take naps together!" Peeta bit out. "Who takes naps with a wolf!"

Katniss glared at him.

"Sorry if you think I did something wrong, but I liked being with you that way. It was nice, and I thought you liked it too! It was just that, hell, I don't know- look," he added, an apologetic tone leaking in, "I was stuck in a bad situation that night- and I couldn't change forms at the animal shelter. I meant to sneak away from there as soon as I could, but then you guys brought me home with you. And, I don't know Katniss, after what happened with Gale, what you confided in me-"

Katniss flushed, reminded of those very private things she'd unwittingly told him when she'd thought he was "Scruffy."

"-It just seemed like you needed some comfort, and I liked that you trusted me enough to tell me those things, so I… overstayed my welcome, I guess."

"Why did you do it?"

"Why did I stay here longer than I should have?" Peeta's face turned red. He was so fair-skinned she doubted he was ever able to hide it when he got embarrassment, "it just seemed like we hit it off. We did hit it off, didn't we?" he asked, his sounding vulnerable as if he were begging her to concede just that little bit to him.

"I don't mean that," Katniss admitted, looking away and ignoring the implied question. 

She couldn't believe she was talking to him all of this stuff. It was strange to feel so familiar with someone and yet never have had a real conversation with them. "I meant that night I was out with Gale… when he kept trying to get me to kiss him. I'm glad you distracted him enough that he left me alone," she said, remembering the way wolf-Peeta had barked and snarled at Gale when he had refused to keep his hands to himself, "I just don't know why you did it."

Peeta wouldn't look at her as she questioned him; she wasn't sure what she could do to prod him to give her an answer. 

For some reason, she needed to hear it.

"I know this probably isn't the best time to tell you this, but what the hell, I'm in this deep," Peeta said resignedly. He sighed. "It's like this- I've had a crush on you forever, Katniss," he admitted, "since grade school."

Well, that wasn't what she'd been expecting at all. 

"I've seen you with other girls," she said disbelievingly. What he was saying wasn't logical. Peeta had never even talked to her before last night.

He laughed. "Yeah, I've dated some. Of course- I mean, I am a guy," he shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like it's some weird thing, Katniss. I've just never been able to shake you, that's all."

She gawked at him. She couldn't get her mouth to work for anything. 

"Could you, ah, say something at least? I'm kind of dying here," Peeta said, stepping a bit closer. The vulnerably he felt was as apparent.

Katniss shook her head and stepped back. She couldn't breathe. "I have to go," she said, feeling like every part of her body was tightening in on itself. She didn't know what to think, let alone what to say. 

It genuinely hurt when Peeta's expression fell, the rejection in his eyes cutting to her core. "Oh, sure," he said, "yeah, no, you're right- I get it."

Katniss scrambled, trying to find something to say. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She realized too late that she didn't want him to leave. "Peeta, I'm sorry, it's just that-"

He shook his head. He wouldn't look at her. "It's okay," he said, backing away, "I just… I'd better go."

And that time, she was the one who watched him leave. She wanted to stop him, but what would she even say to him? 

* * *

The next few weeks passed by in a slow, downward spiral of self-loathing for Peeta. He tried to distract himself, but all he could think about was the way he'd screwed things up with Katniss.

Peeta tried not to be obvious about it, but he knew she kept catching him watching her in class. Their eyes met the first few times briefly, but then she'd look away and do something like fiddle with her braid or stare down at whatever it was she was doing. 

After that, Katniss stopped glancing back, but he was pretty sure she still knew he was looking- he couldn't help but notice the way the back of her neck flushed under his watch.

"Dude, you need to get over it," Rye told him. "You tried, and you struck out with her."

Peeta didn't say anything, just continued staring out the window of the car as his brother drove them home from school.

"Seriously! Everdeen isn't the only trout in the lake."

Peeta sighed. Rye was an idiot. "You mean fish in the sea?"

"Exactly. Hey- I heard Clove Adkins has her eye on you. she wants to ask you to prom."

Clove Adkins was a senior, and he supposed that ought to make him feel flattered. "Huh," Peeta said. He couldn't garner any excitement because he simply didn't give a shit about anything these days. 

The only girl he would want to go to prom with wasn't old enough. But there was no reason to entertain thoughts like that about Katniss- he'd blown things with her epically.

"Are you interested in going with her?" Rye asked as they pulled into the driveway of their house. Peeta had a shift at the bakery that afternoon, but his brother didn't. He needed to go inside and change his clothes before heading over there.

"I don't know," Peeta said. 

No, he wasn't interested, but he didn't feel like getting into it with his brother. He'd come up with an excuse not to go with Clove later. It was hard to get motivated to do anything, even the simple act of saying _no_.

Rye paused, his hand on the door handle. Before opening it, he punched Peeta in the shoulder, lightly- for him, at least. "Think about it, would ya?"

"Yeah, I'll think about it."

* * *

The next morning, Peeta had to drag himself into school. Unfortunately, he already found himself swearing at a quarter 'till eight when it took him three tries to get the combination right before allowing him into his locker. 

He hadn't slept well the night before, tossing and turning for hours and kicking himself for the way he hadn't immediately shut down Rye's question about Clove Adkins. 

It'd been stupid of him just to play along- that dumbass brother of his had probably already told her Peeta would go to prom if she asked. And how was he supposed to say no to a girl? He just didn't have it in him.

He sat his water bottle on the top shelf, well threw it in in a fit of irritation. So it was no wonder the thing rolled off the shelf and down into the no-man' s-land of loose papers and other junk that had accumulated at the bottom of his locker and had been pretty much since the beginning of the school year. "Son of a bitch," Peeta swore under his breath as he bent over to pick it up. 

There was a layer of sweat on the bottle already, and a piece of notebook paper had attached itself to the bottle and remained wrapped around it after he pulled it out. The weird thing was that it didn't look like anything he remembered tossing in there. After getting his stuff for his first class of the day, he shut the door behind him and looked at the folded paper again.

_Peeta-_ his name was carefully printed out in small, neat handwriting in one corner.

"Hey, Peeta." He stuffed the paper in his pocket and glanced at Clove Adkins, who smiled at him from a step away. 

"Hey," he said, panicking a little. 

_Dammit, dammit, dammit!_ He was going to kill his brother and then himself for being so stupid. To make things worse, out of the corner of his eye, he could see Katniss had arrived. She was standing across the hall, talking to Madge Undersee at her locker.

Was it his imagination, or was she looking at him? More specifically, it seemed like she was staring at the pocket where he'd just stuffed the note. Peeta glanced over Clove's shoulder at her, meeting her eyes. 

Katniss quickly glanced away from him. But she'd been watching him; he was sure of it now. Was the note from her? It had to be, or else she wouldn't be looking at him like that.

Peeta huffed under his breath. Who in the hell left notes in lockers, honestly? Had she never heard of talking to him or maybe texting?

"Hey, so I was talking to Rye-" Clove began, hugging her books to her chest and stepping closer.

And Peeta knew it was rude, he _knew_ it was, but there was no way he could stand there and just carry on a conversation with Clove while there was what he thought had to be a note- 

(He still couldn't get over that note in his locker. Katniss was so damn awkward, not that he didn't think it was cute on some level. Everything about her did something for him.) 

-from Katniss burning a hole in his pocket. "Oh, hey, yeah. I'm supposed to meet with Mr. Abernathy before class to talk, so I'd better go," he told her, the lie quickly slipping off his tongue as he darted around her.

Clove didn't make room for him to get by; she seemed to step closer if anything so that his body brushed against her as he moved past. "Okay, but can I talk to you later?" Clove asked, "there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh, sure, yeah, maybe," Peeta said. He'd need to come up with something for when she asked him about prom later, but for now, at least he'd bought himself some time.

"Bye Peeta," Clove said, waving her fingers at him before strutting away.

Peeta glanced over at Katniss again, noting the way she was frowning at the other girl's back. He watched her for another moment, but she wouldn't look at him. 

He opened his mouth to say something to Katniss but thought better of it. There was still a crowd in the hallway, and he already felt awkward as hell about the whole situation with Clove. Now didn't seem like the right time to explain to Katniss that he wasn't interested in her.

Instead, Peeta snuck down the hallway and into the restroom. Thankfully, the stalls were empty, so he pulled the note out of his pocket, his eyes quickly skimming down the page without registering any of the words there until he landed on her name- _Katniss._

Peeta slumped against the door.

It was a short note, but she was a quiet girl- until you got to know her, that was. He wouldn't' have expected more than this from her. He wouldn't' have expected a note from her at all.

**Peeta** , 

The letter began:

**I don't know what to say right now. I know you said you had a crush on me-**

_Have Katniss. I have a crush on you,_ Peeta thought. 

**But I don't know if I'm ready to date anyone. The first try didn't go so well if you remember.**

His heart sank a little, but only until he read the next line. Peeta's smile stretched from ear to ear then.

**I don't know what to do about you, but I know that I miss you. I guess what I wondered is- could we try being friends? I'd like the chance to get to know you better.**

Peeta was glad the bathroom had cleared out because he whooped out loud like an idiot. Sure, this wasn't everything he wanted with Katniss, not by a longshot, but it was a start. A chance was all he could ask for with her. And if he was lucky, maybe friendship could lead to more.

He finished reading.

**Can you come to my house tonight so we can talk about it? If you're not busy.**

Underneath that line, she'd scrawled her phone number. 

Peeta hastily dug his out of his back pocket and programmed the number under a new contact. He stared at her name in awe.

_Katniss_. 

He wondered if she'd let him take her picture- he'd like to have a photo of her.

**I'd prefer it if you could come in human form, but if you do need to come as Scruffy, make sure to bring a pair of shorts at least. I don't want a repeat of the other night.**

She'd drawn a smiley face next to her name.

**Katniss**

Peeta let out a breath. He took a minute to compose himself. He told himself to calm down because the smile on his face was a bit much for first-period Geometry. Everyone would know something was up.

It wasn't until after he'd carefully folded the note and stuffed it back in his pocket next to his phone, washed his hands, and left the bathroom that a thought struck him.

What had Katniss mean when she said she "didn't want a repeat of the other night?" The made him pause. Did he need to apologize to her for something?

Oh well.

If he did, he did. He'd find out later. 

Peeta paused outside the math room and pulled his phone out. He typed up a quick message and sent it to Katniss.

**P: Hey, I was glad to hear from you. What time do you want me to come?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, we're not through with these two yet. There will be some good stuff coming next chapter- fun times for the two of them. Trying to decide if I should up the rating ;)- I'd appreciate your opinions there.
> 
> Let me know what you think, I love to hear from you guys.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad to have an update to this one, thank you for reading and supporting me along the way. I appreciate you all.

Katniss peeked through the faded, floral print laundry room curtains discreetly so that she could observe Peeta Mellark without him becoming aware of her presence there. He stood at her back door with both of his hands shoved in his pockets. Her chest felt tight, just looking at him. She wondered if he was as nervous about coming over here as she'd been about asking him. Katniss figured that he must've been- he'd been hesitating for more than a few seconds by now. 

Katniss didn't know what to think, especially after getting a look at the way he was talking to Clove at his locker this morning. The other girl seemed pretty friendly with him. Maybe Peeta was planning to date Clove now or something and didn't want to talk to her anymore. Perhaps she shouldn't have stuck that note in his locker asking him to come tonight- she was leaning heavily towards _she sure the heck shouldn't have_ at the moment. 

The stupid thing was that she genuinely missed him, which was crazy because she didn't even know Peeta. She knew Scruffy and supposed she'd accepted that they were the same person. Wolf-person? Whatever. 

Katniss bit the corner of her nail, a bad habit she was trying to break herself of but hadn't quite succeeded in doing yet. She missed Scruffy, but as much as she hated to admit it to herself, it was more than that. She couldn't get that moment out of her head when Peeta told her he liked her. She just didn't know what she wanted to do about that. 

Katniss wished she could run away again instead of talking to him. That wasn't going to do her any good, though. She'd been miserable trying not to think about Peeta over the last few weeks. It was time to quit running and face her fears.

"What are you looking at, honey?" her mom asked a moment later as she walked in the laundry room with Prim trailing behind her.

Katniss didn't answer. She didn't even look their way, just shook her head. 

She fervently wished they weren't home. She hadn't been expecting either of them to be here when she'd asked Peeta if he would come over. Her mom and sister had made plans to go with Rue and her mom to the movies tonight, but Prim's "bestie" had come down with something and had canceled on them an hour ago. It was just her luck. 

Katniss didn't want to explain to her mother why Peeta Mellark was here. It wasn't like she was planning to do anything scandalous with him. Her mom didn't need to stay here to help her keep her virtue intact or anything. 

Although she had spent a disproportionate amount of time thinking about the way he looked naked.

"Why are you lurking in the corner- is someone outside?" Prim asked, stepping around their mother. She stood in front of Katniss to get a better look out the window. 

"Yes," Katniss said resignedly. No matter how she felt, there was no getting out of this now. There were witnesses involved.

"Oh Katniss," Prim squealed, peering around the curtains and then sticking her nose much too far through the opening; if she wasn't careful, Peeta was going to see her. "Who is that… he's so cute! Are you going on a date with him?" she asked, her voice a nonstop whispering train of questions. "I like him better than Gale already."

"What's going on?" their mom asked, stepping towards them to presumptively get a look herself.

Katniss glared at her sister and refused to make room for her mother at the window. Gaping-at-Peeta-Mellark hours were officially over for the evening; she decided abruptly. "We're just friends," she told them. She wasn't sure if that was what she'd call the weird relationship she had with Peeta, but telling Prim something seemed like the only way to get her to shut up.

"Since when are you friends with anyone other than Madge?" Prim asked in a sing-song voice.

She scowled at her. Darn it- she had her there. "Since now," Katniss hissed, nudging her sister aside. Ignoring the knowing looks from the two of them, she walked past them and opened the door to meet Peeta. 

She couldn't bear another minute with these two, so she might as well just get on with it.

* * *

  
  
  


Peeta was contemplating the Everdeen's back door when it flew open, and Katniss barged out. "Hey," he greeted her warmly, happy to see her face to face again. He'd spent the afternoon trying to keep his cool and not worry too much about this afternoon.

He cringed when she glared back at him, though. "Things alright?" he asked.

Katniss shook her head in a tight, jerky motion. "It's fine," she said. "I don't know." Peeta waited silently on her to decide what the answer was. "It's nothing, really," she told him finally, waving her hand behind her. 

He waited some more.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?" she finally asked him.

The question caught Peeta off guard. Based on the wording of that note she'd left him, he thought she was planning for them to hang out at her house tonight. He hadn't given any consideration to the idea that she might want to go somewhere else. "I have my car," he offered, gesturing towards the street, "if you want to leave."

"I just need to get out of here," Katniss told him, hopping down the back steps. Peeta followed, keeping pace with her as they walked to the curb where the car was parked. She let herself into the passenger side of the vehicle while he climbed in behind the steering wheel. 

He glanced over at her as she buckled in. He knew that going into this, the potential for things to become awkward between them was a real possibility. The glaring discomfort seemed worse than what he'd anticipated, though.

"You okay?" Peeta asked, hesitating before turning the key in the ignition. He still had no idea where to take her. His house was out because his mom and dad were home. While his dad was pretty welcoming, his mom could be kind of a bitch if you sprung something on her out of the blue.

"My mom and sister are just irritating, that's all," Katniss explained, staring out the window towards her house before glancing at him again. She still seemed uncomfortable, but Peeta couldn't pin down why. 

She'd talked to him about her mother before, but he wasn't sure whether he should bring that up now or not. He just couldn't be sure of himself with her. He wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to remind her of all the things she'd told him while he was in wolf form.

They watched each other, the space in his car full of thick silence. 

"We could always get something to eat," Katniss said finally, "I like food." 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"This was a good idea," Peeta said, shifting to allow room for Katniss to sit beside him on the wall.

"You can't go wrong with ice cream," she said, sitting in the open space next to him, but not too close. 

Once she settled, Katniss handed over his orange creamsicle slush. She'd carried it outside for him because his hands were full with a foot-long coney dog and curly fries. "I'm surprised you hadn't eaten before coming over," she said. As soon as both hands were free, she went to scoop up a bite of her hot fudge sundae. "It's kind of late."

Peeta laughed around his mouthful of hotdog, coney sauce, and bun. "I didn't say I hadn't eaten," he admitted after swallowing. He took the napkin she offered and wiped the excess off his mouth. Coney sauce was dripping off his bun. "I can always eat."

Katniss smirked down at her shoes. "Nothing wrong with that, I guess."

"Nope, I'm a growing boy," he joked. Without giving it much thought, Peeta nudged her leg with his knee. They might not have talked much yet, but there was a definite sense of familiarity between them, which made sense. He'd spent time with his head in her lap and had slept curled up with her or even on top of her more than once. She'd petted him and kissed his fur, and called him a good boy. How was he supposed to forget about all of that?

Katniss laughed a little. The sound was like sunshine; it made him feel warm from head to toe. She was starting to loosen up a little with him, thank goodness. Peeta was glad she'd said no when he asked if she wanted to sit in one of a handful of booths inside because the dairy bar was a small place and not very private. The two of them had wandered outside instead to find a seat on the low wall. It seemed a lot easier to carry on a conversation with her outside.

"Does that mean you're a bottomless pit?" she asked, looking down at her sundae. She wasn't one for a ton of eye contact, he realized, at least with people. It hadn't been an issue with him when he was "Scruffy," though.

"Pretty much," Peeta admitted. He picked up his slushie and took a long drink. "Boy, that's good," he said, smacking his lips.

Peeta knew he was laying it on a little thick, but he wanted to get her to laugh again.

"Orange, huh?" she said, glancing over at him and snickering. Her eyes seemed like they were sparkling. He loved it. "That doesn't seem very manly."

"Not manly?" Peeta answered. He grinned, surprised by her teasing. "What's not manly about orange, Everdeen? It's the same color as tigers, and they're badass."

"Almost as badass as wolves?" Katniss quipped. She stopped like she'd surprised herself, looking away. 

"Almost," Peeta said, nudging her with his knee again and getting another laugh out of her. He didn't think they needed to get into all of that wolf stuff yet. He just wanted the chance to spend some time with her. "But seriously," he continued, "this is good with the ice cream mixed in." He tipped his cup towards her. "Do you want to try some?" 

Friends shared drinks sometimes, right? "Scruffy" had licked her face several times, and that wasn't even considering the dried drool on the corner of her mouth faux pau.

He didn't want to think about that right now. That had been an embarrassing lack of self-control.

"No, thank you," she told him, smiling despite herself. She scooped out another bite of her sundae. "I'll more of a chocolate fan," she admitted. "I'd probably murder for chocolate- so don't expect me to share mine."

Peeta laughed. "More for me then. I always get these when I come here," he said, shaking the cup. "Orange is my favorite color. "He paused. "I'm just regaling you with all kinds of interesting facts about myself, aren't I? Sometimes I don't know when to shut up."

"You're fine," Katniss said, glancing over at him. She seemed amused, at least. "Mine's green, by the way. Orange isn't that bad."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. "Thanks, Katniss," he said eventually.

"For what, not mocking your favorite color more than once?" she joked, "I said it wasn't that bad."

"No, but that too," Peeta said, laughing. He wasn't trying to push her into anything she didn't want from him; he just wasn't great at keeping his thoughts to himself. "I meant for giving me another chance. I was thrilled you asked me to meet up with you. Mostly for saying that you missed me, I guess. I missed you too."

"You did?"

"Yeah."

Katniss set her empty sundae cup down on the wall next to her. "It doesn't make sense, though, does it?"

"Missing each other?" he clarified.

"Yeah. I mean," Katniss answered, sounding genuinely confused. "How can I miss you when we hardly know each other? I guess I don't understand how it could be like that. I don't usually get attached to people."

Peeta laughed. Did she believe that? Even he knew that wasn't true- he'd seen the way she was with Prim and even Mags from the shelter. He'd heard her talk about the people she loved and her responsibilities. He knew how much she cared even if she didn't recognize it herself. She seemed to have a small circle but cared deeply about those people in it.

On the other hand, Peeta couldn't help but wonder if what she was saying meant he'd imprinted on her somehow. The stupid thing was that he had no idea- he still wasn't sure how all of that worked. He needed to sit down with his dad and make him finally tell him all of those not-so-minor details about being a werewolf he'd let slide. He supposed his dad had gotten lazy, with him being the only one of the boys who was a shape-shifter. It was just Peeta's luck that he was the youngest.

"I know more about you than you do me, I guess," he finally said, deciding that he shouldn't bring the subject of imprinting up. That would freak Katniss out. "You told me all sorts of things about you. You held me."

"I cuddled with _Scruffy_ ," she corrected him, obviously embarrassed. She emphasized the name like she could separate the wolf from him just by saying it.

"Sorry to tell you this, but it's still me," he teased her gently. "What I meant was that maybe if we hung out more and got to know each other a little better, you'd feel more comfortable about wanting to hang out. Maybe we could be friends."

Katniss nodded. "No, you're right." 

"And you can still cuddle with me anytime you want," he added, "I love getting scratched behind the ears."

Katniss surprised him, smacking his arm with the back of her hand and doubling over with laughter, a loud, belly-deep noise. Once she'd calmed down, though, Katniss covered her face with her hands. "Peeta," she finally began after things seemed quiet between them a little too long, "I have to tell you something." 

"What is it?" he asked softly.

Katniss groaned and shook her head. "I don't know if I can say it."

"Are you okay?" Peeta asked, genuinely concerned. He scooted closer to her, debating whether or not it would be okay to put his arm around her. Ultimately, he did, just from his prior clout as Scruffy. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. The cuddling with you thing isn't that big of a deal, is it?" he asked when she didn't flinch away from his arm around her back, "I meant to tell you before you found out the way you did, I swear. You seemed upset that day, and I thought we both liked it-"

"No, it's not that. I did like that," Katniss admitted, interrupting him. "That was good. You comforted me when I needed it. I liked cuddling with Scruffy-" 

There she went, trying to separate the two parts of him again, but Peeta didn't mention it. It wouldn't help anything, he realized. 

"It's just that-" she sighed, and he wondered again what could have left her so worked up all of a sudden. There were quite a few things it could have been in regards to the convoluted beginning of their friendship, or whatever this was turning into between them. What she said astonished him. "Peeta, I saw you _naked_ ," she whispered, the words muffled between her fingers, "and I'm so embarrassed I can hardly look at you now. Every time I close my eyes, it's like I can't get that image out of my head."

Peeta was confused (and completely thrilled of course. Katniss had thought about him naked? Repeatedly? He couldn't let himself dwell on that part of her confession too much)- of course, he knew she'd seen him naked; they'd woken up with him in her bed that way that night at her house. Why was she feeling wrong about that, though? It wasn't her fault.

And really, what was the big deal? Even if Pee didn't like her as much as he did, he honestly didn't think he'd care. "I didn't mean for that to happen, you know," he said, his voice low to avoid any chance of being overheard by anyone. A few people were milling around now, and he'd rather die than embarrass her further.

Katniss dropped her hands from her face then. When he got a good look at her, he couldn't help but notice how her cheeks were a fiery red, and her eyes were wide as saucers. "But I _looked_ ," she admitted to him, sounding mortified.

Peeta studied the side of her face while she stared resolutely forward, refusing to meet his eye. This conversation could go a few different ways right now, he realized. If he were either of his brothers, it would undoubtedly take a sexual overtone, but he was smart enough to know that this wasn't what the time or place. Katniss trusted him enough to admit her embarrassment to him. 

"It's alright- I don't mind that you did, really," he told her softly. 

She still refused to look at him. 

"It's not a big deal to me. I don't know. Nudity just isn't an issue with most guys. And honestly," he said, feeling a little sheepish but trying to reassure her, "if the shoe had been on the other foot, I would have done the same thing."

Katniss groaned. "I don't know if that helps or not," she admitted, but finally giggled a little despite herself. She glanced over at him from out of the corner of her eye.

Peeta scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Well, it's the truth," he reiterated.

"Oh my god, I don't even know why I _told_ you that," she said, biting her lip. "Who does something like that? I'm such a moron."

"Don't say that," he said somewhat seriously, nudging her again when she looked away. He caught her eye again before saying any more. "You're not, I swear. You're just cute." _Not to mention awkward as hell_ , he thought but was smart enough to keep that to himself.

The blush was moving down her neck and spreading across the top of her chest. Her eyes were shining with laughter, and Peeta thought she'd never looked more beautiful, although he hated to see her so embarrassed when she didn't have a reason to feel that way. They should get out of here- maybe that would take her mind off of things.

A change of scenery would be just the thing, he decided. He knew right where he wanted to go.

Peeta got to his feet, offering a hand to Katniss to help her up. She took it, and her hand was warm and soft as she wrapped her fingers around his. "Do you want to go somewhere else?" he softly.

"Sure," she told him, "lead the way."

As they walked towards his car, Peeta waited for Katniss to drop his hand, but she didn't. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought if you're feeling it. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we see another appearance of Peeta as "Scruffy."
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

Peeta genuinely surprised her with his suggestion of where they ought to go next after leaving the dairy bar.

Katniss glanced his way after pausing mid-buckling her seatbelt, shooting him a funny look. She'd thought tonight was supposed to be about getting to know him, not "Scruffy."

He shrugged off her skepticism. "It'll be fun!"

She scowled at him in earnest then.

Peeta threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine- you got me. If I'm honest, I do need to run off some of that crap I just ate. And I get a better workout that way," he added in a reasonable tone, "burns more calories and stuff. I try not to let my weight creep up on me during the off-season from wrestling. It's easier to keep it off than try losing it again at the beginning of the season."

"Seriously?" He had to be pulling her leg, right? "Do you have a frisbee in the trunk of your car or something so I can play catch with you?"

"Yeah, but I usually save that for when I take my dates to the dog park," Peeta answered cheekily, flashing her a quick grin before backing out of his parking spot.

Katniss groaned as he pulled out into the meager amount of traffic on the road, but once she'd settled back in the passenger seat and glanced out the window, she smiled to herself.

Peeta was kind of a goofball, but at least she was feeling less awkward about the whole, bringing up seeing him naked on their quasi-date fiasco.

A part of her had to wonder if Peeta had suggested going somewhere to "play," so to speak, just to make her feel more at ease.

If so, she appreciated his thoughtfulness.

* * *

  
  
  


Once they reached his suggested destination, that line of thought about his kindness was out the window once Katniss was busy running across the field, chasing err, _Scruffy_ , around the small bushes and slender trees that dotted the edges of the landscape.

_It's_ _Peeta; she_ reminded herself as she dashed after him, _you_ _need to stop_ _thinking_ _of_ _him_ _by_ _that_ dog _name_ it's _ridiculous now that you know who he is._ But it seemed like no matter how often she reminded herself; she couldn't stop thinking of him as "Scruffy" in his wolf form.

_But then again, if I keep that fact to myself,_ Katniss thought as she watched his furry behind hightail it even further out of her range with those long-legged wolf strides _, how was he to know?_

The place they'd gone to at Peeta's suggestion, Meadows Park, was a local nature reserve situated about ten miles outside of town.

The park was in and around an old stone quarry its former owners had converted into a swimming hole more than a century ago. While no longer sanctioned for swimming, it was a local paradise for wildlife, a hot spot for bird and insect watching as well as home to an abundance of frogs and other amphibians in the pond and rock outcroppings located in the woods. Running around the outskirts of the wide-open park space were walking trails, some leading through the woods while others ran along the outskirts of the quarry pond.

Speaking of wildlife, every time Katniss thought she was finally going to catch "Scruffy," much like this time, he would take off again, moving at an even faster pace.

He'd managed to evade her every time so far.

"Show-off!" she finally hollered, slowing down to a trot.

One thing was sure- "Scruffy" didn't seem the least bit winded from the chase he'd led her on. His stamina was incredible, and that was saying something because Katniss was no slouch herself. She'd always been naturally quick and light on her feet- she'd been a member of the relay team since her freshman year of high school for crying out loud.

Those credentials weren't enough to allow her to keep up with a wolf, though, which wasn't that surprising, come to think of it.

Katniss made a decision, coming to a complete stop then and leaning against a tree to wait him out while she caught her breath.

Meanwhile, "Scruffy" stopped as well, a decent distance away from her. He behaved as though he thought she might be playing a trick on him, half-sitting on his haunches and cocking his silvery blond head. He scrutinized her, a suggestion of humor in his expression that made her want to smack Peeta the next time he was human again.

"I'm not going to chase you any longer, but you'd better watch it, or I'm going to talk to Mr. Abernathy about recruiting you!" Katniss threatened, referencing their curmudgeonly shop teacher/ slash track coach who smelled like an over-soaked distillery even on his best days. "So, you might want to reign it in a bit."

Immediately, "Scruffy" got up off his haunches and trotted her way at a leisurely pace. He seemed ready to behave himself now that she was no longer chasing him. She doubted he was at all concerned with her threat.

"Now that you've proven your point, does that mean you're going to sit with me?" She asked when he stopped in front of her.

"Scruffy" huffed out a little noise that sounded like agreement, before loping around to her side. He sat next to her, and once he was down, he stretched out on his belly, resting his chin on Katniss's leg and staring up at her with wide eyes.

"You know this is weird that we're doing this, right?" Katniss mumbled, making a fist in the palm of her hand, fighting the urge to stroke his soft fur. She knew she shouldn't because it was _Peeta_ underneath all that fur. It would be weird, wouldn't it?

"Scruffy" nudged her hand with his nose while she argued silently with herself.

It was as if he was urging her to do the thing she was fighting against like he'd read her mind and was telling her not to overthink things. She could almost hear the gently chiding tone leaving Peeta's mouth, his eyes crinkling in the corners in amusement at her plight.

Katniss had to look away from him while she deliberated internally. It was impossible to say no while looking at that cute face and those pleading blue eyes. She wasn't going to pet him, darn it.

Meanwhile, "Scruffy" whimpered, bumping her hand with his snout again.

She sighed heavily, uncurling her fist. Resistance was futile. _It wasn't like anyone except the two of them had to know. She_ told herself as "Scruffy" slid his head beneath her open hand.

It felt nice to feel the warmth of his body again.

He turned his face inward so that his snout was resting against her denim-covered thigh and let out a contented sigh when her hand stroked across his head and drifted down the back of his neck.

Katniss laughed under her breath at the two of them, and the absurdity of the situation.

He huffed again and snuggled closer, this time practically climbing on top of her.

Weird or not, she guessed this was happening.

As she ran her fingers through his silky fur, it only took her a moment to conclude that petting him didn't' feel weird at all, even if it was weird. It felt just the same way it had when they cuddled together before she'd found out "Scruffy" was Peeta, when she'd had that original connection with him. It was still the same, even knowing what she knew now.

Katniss closed her eyes at the thought that sprung to mind as she grew more and more relaxed with him.

She recalled the way her mom used to rub her dad's back, or vice versa, or how sometimes she would scratch his head when he would complain in the wintertime about his scalp being itchy. She could actively visualize the way her dad used to sit on the living room floor while her mom sat behind him on the couch with his head resting in her lap.

Those actions had never seemed strange or unusual when she was a little girl.

_Weird how I hadn't thought about that in a long time,_ she mused as she scratched behind "Scruffy's" ears.

She supposed the connection between her dual trains of thought meant that she and Peeta must be friends now, regardless of which form he'd taken.

_Friends or something else,_ Katniss realized, the thought coming obtrusively to her as she leaned against the tree.

She thought back to the way it'd felt to have Peeta hold her hand as they were leaving the dairy bar, how much she'd liked it, how exciting it felt to touch him. It was like a milder version of the hot way she felt when she thought about the way he'd looked naked in her room that night.

Holding his hand had felt so different than what they were doing right now, to her at least. She had no idea what Peeta's thoughts were, she realized, glancing down at "Scruffy."

He gently licked her cheek, and she laughed.

_Life was strange,_ Katniss thought as she rested her head on top of his _, but sometimes strange was good._

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"Hey, kiddo, have fun tonight?" Peeta's dad asked, looking up from his seat on the backyard swing. He held a crossword puzzle book in one hand with his pencil behind his ear and had a bottle of water stuck between his legs.

At his dad's gesture to join him, Peeta sat beside him on the swing. He'd just returned home from dropping Katniss off at her house. He thought they'd had a good time together although she'd been oddly quiet once he'd shifted back again, and they drove away from Meadows Park.

But Katniss told him she'd had a good time and he thought she'd meant it.

For a few more moments, the two of them sat in his car with the engine idling. And then, feeling like a nervous dork, Peeta thanked her for going out with him, forgetting of course that she was the one who'd invited him in the first place. He realized what he'd said as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

They both seemed at a bit of a loss for words after that, while he sat stewing- wishing he had some way of knowing what she was thinking.

After those few awkward words they shared, Katniss lingered, though, and they sat watching each other with a heavy blanket of silence filling the space.

Peeta was on the verge of saying something to break the quiet (he was the one who was supposed to be good at that stuff after all), but then she reached across the console and squeezed his hand for a fleeting moment before dropping it. And then she yanked on the door handle and bolted out of his car, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Without another word, she took off for her house and didn't give Peeta a backward glance until she was at her door. Then she turned and waved to him before ducking her head and going indoors.

The scene had left him dangling, in a suspended state as if he were hanging from a thin string that was ready to tear beneath his weight.

Despite the weird way the evening had ended, Peeta was happy. It'd been time spent with Katniss, and she didn't seem to hate him, so why shouldn't he be thrilled?

"I had a great time with her," he told his dad finally, "I like her a lot."

His dad peered over the top of his glasses, analyzing him—faded, familiar blue eyes with heavy brows that gazed knowingly.

Peeta'd never been able to hide things from his father and was glad he didn't have to try.

"Good. You've had a thing for Katniss for a while, haven't you?" his dad asked, setting his puzzle book aside.

Peeta huffed, shifting in his seat. "Yeah. I think it's been forever, honestly, but how did you know?"

"You're not subtle," his dad told him wryly.

Peeta laughed. "Yeah, I guess I wasn't," he admitted, scratching the back of his head before dropping his hands again.

"And your brother told me."

"Of course he did," Peeta said, groaning as his dad laughed.

He was glad he'd found him alone tonight. Now seemed like the time to get more information form him. "Dad?" he began a minute later.

"Hmm?" he asked, looking over the top of his glasses again.

"I need to ask you something," Peeta continued, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. He steeped his hands together and leaned his chin on the finger bridge. "How do I know if I might have, uh, if I imprinted on Katniss?"

"What makes you think you could've done something like that?" his dad mused, taking his glasses off and wiping the lenses with the corner of his shirt like he needed something to do with his hands while they talked.

Peeta dove right in- he figured it was probably best to be upfront about what he wanted to know while the opportunity was presenting itself. There'd been too many years he'd spent waiting on his dad to fill him in on what exactly this sort of thing entailed, and it was ridiculous enough that he had to try and pry this information out of him in the first place. "It's just that- well, I like her so much. I mean, I always have, but since I've gotten to know her a little better, she's all I think about, even more than I did before."  
  


"Well, that doesn't sound abnormal-"

"What's crazy, though, is that Katniss told me she felt the same way about me too, and she doesn't even know if she likes me!" he blurted out.

His dad laughed, shaking his head back and forth in mirth. "Peet, I'd say she likes you."

"But what if I just… what if I imprinted on her?" Peeta continued, turning to face his dad now that he was getting going on the topic. "That doesn't seem fair to her if I did. I'd hate to think I might have done that without her, or myself for that matter, even knowing I'd done it. So I need to know what imprinting is."

  
  
  


"Why would you think she just doesn't like you?" His dad asked, placing his glasses back on his face.

"Because you've never told me what imprinting involves!" he exclaimed in a rare fit of irritation brought on by his dad's lackadaisical attitude. "How the hell am I supposed to know what I've done, Dad?"

"Have you kissed her yet?" he asked smoothly, ignoring Peeta's angry tone.

"No, I haven't. Not that I don't want to," Peeta admitted readily, caught off guard by his father's question. "Katniss and I are just friends right now. Is kissing how you imprint?"

"No," his dad told him, smirking. "Imprinting is a lot like falling in love, and it's not just some transfer of body fluids-"

"Shit, dad…" Peeta groaned, shaking his head. He didn't want to talk about sex with his dad, ever. That was one subject he was thankful his dad had never been the most forthcoming in discussing with him.

"You know what I meant, Peet, so don't give me that," his dad said, laughing. "It's complicated. Imprinting is a multi-faceted, emotional connection, and certainly nothing you can just do overnight."

Peeta let out the breath he'd been holding after ruminating on that thought. "So, I haven't tricked her into wanting to be with me somehow?"

"No, son."

"And Katniss probably just thinks I'm an alright guy?"

His dad patted his leg reassuringly before hauling himself out of the swing. "You're more than an alright guy. Just treat her well, and stop worrying about things. You're sixteen, enjoy yourself. See where it goes with Katniss." He tucked his book underneath his arm. "I'm going to head inside. It's past my bedtime already."

Peeta lingered outside a few more minutes after his father went in.

While he didn't feel any more well-informed after their conversation- his dad had once again skated around the details of what he'd asked without ever answering the question. Peeta had to admit he was feeling relieved that he hadn't unwittingly tricked Katniss or anything.

So that meant Katniss liked him, right?

Peeta stood up to go inside, once he'd bent over and retrieved his dad's empty water bottle.

If he only knew what to do from here.

* * *

  
  
  


Katniss lay in bed that night, curled up around her pillow in the darkness of her room. She kept rubbing the palm of her hand against the slick cotton and remembering what it felt like to have Peeta's warm hand there instead of a pillowcase.

No matter what she tried, she couldn't get to sleep. Her mind was too busy, too full of her thoughts- most of which revolved around Peeta. She couldn't stop thinking about him.

Now, if only she could decide what to do about that.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Peeta stood in front of his locker the next morning, shoving a few books back inside it while simultaneously digging out his notebook for his first class of the day when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

He cringed.

"You've been avoiding me," a voice sing-songed behind him.

It was Clove.

_Shit, he still hadn't figured out what to say to her about prom._

He simply hadn't given his dilemma with her another thought after he'd evaded her invitation yesterday morning. He'd been too busy thinking about how to go about gaining the interest of the girl he wanted.

And he had, at least a little.

But now that tentative victory seemed on the verge of going up in flames.

"Hey," Peeta answered finally. He turned around slowly to face his assailant head-on.

  
Clove came closer, and he automatically moved back to put more space between them. The girl made him very nervous. He'd heard some rumors floating around about her involving knife throwing and a bad temper. She didn't seem like the kind of girl who you wanted to get on her wrong side.

"I've wanting to talk to you about Prom," Clove told him bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest and frowning up at him. For being so short, there was undoubtedly an intimidating edge about her, at least.

He felt himself begin to sweat. Was he going to get stuck taking Clove to prom, all because of his stupid brother? Not that it was all Rye's fault, he should have shut the topic down himself when his brother brought it up the other day.

The thing that made it wrong was Peeta had always considered himself too polite to tell a girl no if they asked him out.

What if he hurt her feelings? He didn't want to do that to anyone.

But if he did take Clove to prom, what was he going to tell Katniss? Would she even care?

Or would she _say_ she didn't care but actually care a _lot_ and then never talk to him again?

Peeta racked his brain. He licked his lips, knowing he was stalling for time, but he felt utterly trapped by Clove.

But then, like rain dousing an out-of-control fire, he sensed her presence next to him before a small hand slipped into his own and twined their fingers together. Her touch was cool-skinned and delicate, saving him. It felt like liberation.

"Hi," Katniss greeted them, looking not exactly thrilled with the current situation. She directed her attention first to Peeta, smiling at him, before turning a scowl on Clove. "What's going on here?" she asked finally, squeezing his hand.

Peeta had to fight the urge to grin while the two girls silently assessed each other.

"You two are a thing?" Clove finally spoke up first.

"Yep," Katniss answered quickly, tipping her chin in the air and leveling her gaze at the older girl.

She was magnificent, all small, angry, and possessive of him (he would maybe even say jealous?), but Peeta was still very confused by what was happening before his eyes. _Was this real? He_ wanted to ask as his mind spun in a million different directions at once.

Was this how Katniss really felt about him or was she just stepping in to bail him out because she could sense his discomfort?

Clove made a _hrumping_ sound in the back of her throat before replying. "Calm your tits," she all but snarled, "I didn't know you'd staked a claim already. Peeta," she said, directing her glare at him, "you need to do a better job of keeping your brother up to date on your love life or whatever this is."

_What is this? That's an excellent question,_ Peeta thought. I'm _wandering the same thing here._

"Anyway, have fun, you two, I guess," Clove added as an afterthought as she turned around to leave. "Sophomores," he heard coming from her as she walked away from them, "this is the last time. I don't care how cute they are."

Peeta watched her disappear down the hallway in silence, her short frame soon getting lost among the thickening crowd of students. Yesterday he'd been worried watching Katniss disappear much the same way as Clove, but today the only thing he felt was relieved.

Well, he was relieved and confused. He was still holding Katniss's hand, so he turned so that they were facing each other in the noisy corridor.

Peeta looked down at her, waiting for Katniss to explain herself and what had just happened.

"I don't know," she said with a shrug, "do we have to talk about it _right_ now?"

He knew she was intentionally keeping her voice low to avoid someone overhearing them. She looked a little anxious now, but not unsure of her actions, but she hadn't let go of his hand. That was mostly all he needed to know for now- they could talk later.

Peeta tried to school his expression, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

He knew what she was trying to say, or assumed he did. "Can I ask you one thing, though?" he asked softly.

Katniss sighed, tightening her grip on his hand. "I guess," she agreed, glancing around them. She didn't seem to be overly fond of being in front of an audience.

It made him unreasonably happy to know that she was putting herself out like this- doing it for him despite her misgivings.

He'd never felt so lucky in his life.

Peeta titled his head low enough so that he could speak directly into her ear and avoid someone overhearing him. "Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" he asked softly, watching her shiver when his breath hit her ear. "Please? I like you so much, and I promise I'll even let you win chase next time we play, but only if you say yes."

He stepped back again and regarded her, waiting for her answer and still fighting that shit-eating grin that kept trying to take over his face.

Katniss bit her lip, trying not to laugh, he could tell.

"Well, when you put it that way," she said, "how could I say no?"

Her cheeks were turning pink, and he loved it.

Katniss tugged on his hand then, indicating that it was probably time to start moving or they would be late to class. "You're such a dork, have I told you that?" she told him as they walked down the hall.

"No, you haven't," Peeta quipped, shifting his books under his arm, "I thought I was a good boy, not a dork."

"You're both, I guess," she told him, stopping in front of her class.

"Can I see you later?" he asked after staring at her a few seconds longer before letting go of her hand. He knew he was acting like his head was underwater or something, but he just couldn't help it. It wasn't every day that a guy suddenly had everything he'd ever wanted.

Katniss seemed to think it over momentarily before answering him. "Yeah," she said finally, "I'll be home tonight if you want to come over. My mom has to work. Send me a text when you can, or scratch at the front door, I guess."

"Awesome," he said.

She snorted at his behavior, but she wasn't fooling anybody- she was smiling too.

"Bye," Peeta said, backing away from her.

"Bye," Katniss mouthed the words before ducking into her class.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  


And later that night, when Peeta showed up at her bedroom window, Katniss didn't hesitate to let him in.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for coming on this little story journey with me! And if you're mad we didn't get any kissing, read (or re-read) the smutty one-shot that's part two to this story lol.
> 
> You know I love to talk-send a comment my way if you're feeling it.


End file.
